We are One
by pinksnail
Summary: This is a story of a faked death, a girl with no memories and an unexplained pregnancy. Fairy Tail believes Lucy to be dead, but what happens when mysteries start to unravel? And the supposedly dead Celestial Mage, returns to Fairy Tail to find that everyone has changed and the boy she loved is now with someone else?
1. Prologue

**Just as Lucy was at her happiest she finds herself in a terrible predicament, which will not only put her in danger but Fairy Tail too. She decides that in order to protect her Nakama she must fake her death. But will Lucy be able to forget her family so easily? And with Natsu determined not to believe Lucy is dead, will Fairy Tail be able move on?**

**Tanoshinde kudasai! – Please Enjoy!**

* * *

**We are One : Prologue**

"Are you sure you want to do this Lucy? You'll be abandoning everything you love; you'll be leaving your family."

"Yes I'm sure." Lucy answered, gazing out over the canal. The boatmen who normally would shout to Lucy did not make a sound, nor did the ripples on the water move. Everything was frozen in time.

"But can you answer me one thing?" Lucy looked to the figure that stood beside her, "Will Lana be kept safe? It's vital Lana will be out of harm's way."

"That I'm afraid I can't answer, Lucy. I cannot guarantee her safety. I can take precautions but that is the limit of what I can do."

Lucy sighed, "Let's hope that will be enough..."

...

A girl, no older than eighteen, stood on the cliff top overlooking Magnolia. Cobble stone streets could be seen, already in the early morning were filled with the hustle and bustle of the salesmen and hagglers going about their business. The canal that stretched throughout the city was glistening under the warming light of the sun.

The wind was starting to pick up. Despite the current pleasant weather, the girl could tell these conditions wouldn't last for much longer. The said wind billowed in her long brown hair. She raised a hand to her face, brushing back some of the wavy locks that had been obscuring her view.

Her vision now clear, allowed her piercing blue eyes to pour over the streets, the alleys, the park, the canal... and...there was that place too.

Whilst looking over this picturesque scene, the brunette could feel a lump form in her throat and her eyes starting to water. She quickly brushed away the tears, feeling stupid for crying over something like this. Crying over something she shouldn't understand.

In fact, she didn't understand anything but what she was crying for. Everything was new to her. She was struggling even to grasp the whole concept of life. Who was she? How had she got here? What was her purpose?

Well, those questions had been answered by the book that now lay by her feet. She picked up the book once again, pulling it close to her chest. Close to her heart. The blue-eyed girl felt close to the protagonist in the story. Although they had never met, she felt a bond with her like that you would share with a twin. The protagonist also happened to be the author and perhaps her only link to what had once been.

She had found the book when she first awoke on the cliff top. The book had just been lying next to her upon a small boulder, like it had been placed there just for her.

And she had been right. The book was for her. When she had first approached the book, it had started to glow. Shining like a star. Initially, she recoiled in fright, however after a few moments curiosity had got the better of her. She reached out and gently placed a hand on the book.

At her touch the light intensified and gold embroidery began to appear on the book's elegant cream cover. The gold thread weaved in and out of the cover, forming words as it sewed.

_Lucy's Life_

That's what the book had read when the light diminished. Lucy's Life.

The girl picked up the book, all feelings of trepidation gone. She opened the cover turning to the first page.

_Dear_ Lana_,_

_This book is for you. I hope you will find it enjoyable and instructive._

_First, I want to begin with an apology. I am afraid I have plunged you into a life of confusion, evasion and possibly grave danger. As a precaution to this, especially the latter, I have written this book. It will help you to comprehend your life. You are Lana, eighteen years old. And it is your job to spread the news of my death._

_I am Lucy Heartfilia and this is my life..._

The message on the first page finished there.

Her name was Lana, Lucy Heartfilia had situated her here and her purpose in life was to pass on the word of Lucy Heartfilia's death.

Lana had flipped over on to the next page of the book. Whoever this Lucy girl was; she wanted to learn more about her. And besides, there was probably useful information in the book to do with her purpose.

It was only subsequent to reading the whole book, did Lana stand upon the cliff that faced the city of Magnolia. It was then Lana had watched the market stools get set out at daybreak and saw the clear waters of the canal. It was then Lana appreciated how the author of Lucy's life had loved this town and how much she would do to protect it. After she had finished the book, the brown haired girl knew Lucy's life inside and out. All about her Mother's death, her father's harsh words, her happy days at Fairy Tail. It was all inside that book. Everything.

She had laughed and cried for Lucy throughout the story. She had felt what she felt. It seemed almost as if Lucy was telling the story directly to her, but instead her emotions were conveyed through words.

By the end of the book Lana knew the whole story.

Lucy Heartfilia was not dead.

Lucy Heartfilia wanted to fake her death.

Lana was to declare her demise.

And Fairy Tail was to be none the wiser, always to believe their beloved celestial mage was dead.

* * *

**So...What do you think? Are you interested to see where this is going?**

**At the beginning of this chapter you were probably wondering where Lucy is, since the story is focused around her.**

**Well, don't worry. Lucy will be in this story a lot.**

**And there's one sight problem. Lana. I've only used this name because it was the first thing I came up with but I'm really not sure what to call her. I'd appreciate it if you could help me decide out of these names:**

**Lana, Misa, Miyo, Mia, Elsie, Isa, Naomi**

**Personally, I'm leaning towards Lana or Naomi but seriously, it's up to you guys. I'm only saying Lana or Naomi because I know the secret plot twist about her. If you don't decide a name I'll feel guilty throughout this story for choosing one. They'll all fit the character.**

**So please review, telling me what you think and the best name.**

**Next chapter, things will start to get interesting. You'll see Fairy Tail come into this and probably something you won't be expecting.**

**Yonde kurete Arigatō – Thanks for reading**

**Sayōnara - Bye**


	2. Pregnant?

**This is a story of a faked death, a girl with no memories and an unexplained pregnancy. Fairy Tail believes Lucy to be dead, but what happens when mysteries start to unravel? And the supposedly dead Celestial Mage, returns to Fairy Tail to find that everyone has changed and the boy she loved is now with someone else?**

**Tanoshinde kudasai!**

* * *

**We are One : Pregnant?**

Lana was now sat on the cliff, digesting the information she had just read.

Really, it was a lot for her to take in, considering she was new to the world. She was like a small toddler trying to figure out the justification for two plus two equalling four. It was hard. She wasn't even sure of what she was seeing before her. She only knew this town was Magnolia because, fortunately Lucy's book had been illustrated.

And now the brunette thought about it, how could she read in the first place?

Lana huffed in frustration.

Everything seemed familiar to her, like reading for example. It was a skill that had just come to her naturally. No lessons or education needed. She already knew how to read. It was second-nature.

She noticed a numb, prickly sensation running through her body. She felt...cold. It made sense; the wind was rather harsh and chilling today. But for some reason she thought she should at least be a tad bit warmer.

She looked down.

"Eeep!" She squeaked at what she saw.

Lana was completely and utterly naked. Her body was bare. No wonder she had felt cold.

Flustered, the girl quickly covered up her most private of areas and looked around anxiously to see if anyone had saw her.

Luckily, there was no one around.

The blue-eyed teen sighed and let her hands drop to her sides. Why she should be worried about anyone seeing her naked, yet alone why she should wear clothes at all was a mystery to her. However she did sincerely want to cover up for some reason.

Once again she scanned the area desperately, and then her eyes alighted upon some clothes near where she had found the book.

After walking to the clothes, Lana crouched down beside them, in order to inspect the garments. To her surprise, there were not only clothes there. On top of the pile were some keys attached to a gold ring, some manuscripts and a tasteful azure ribbon.

Lana picked up each of the items, scrutinizing them with interest. First she studied the keys, noting they either were gold or silver. She singled out one key at a time and held the singular object in the palm of her hand. She felt a slight buzzing sensation when in contact with the keys, so she hurriedly put them down, unsure if she liked the feeling.

The girls eye's next alighted upon the manuscripts. She beamed as she quickly flicked through the text. These were once again written by Lucy, Lana could tell. Lucy had a unique yet simple writing style. Her eloquent words really brought the stories to life. Lana wondered if she would be able to meet Lucy one day, after she completed her task.

And finally the girl picked up the ribbon. She ran the blue accessory through her fingers, feeling the silky surface of the material. Lana found it rather pretty.

With a small smile adorning her face, Lana pulled up half of her coffee brown hair to the side of her head and coiled the ribbon around the wavy lock of hair, fastening it into place. Her smile grew wider; it was just like Lucy's hair in the pictures she had seen in the book. She felt happy that she was able to look like the author she had come to admire.

Lana supposed these must be the things Lucy mentioned in her book. What had she said about them? The brunette tried to remember but just couldn't recall what had been written. She found herself having to look through the book again for the answer, which was on the last page. Well, the last page with writing on that is, there were a few more blank pages after it. Lana found this slightly odd, but shrugged it off and reread the page about the items.

_Nearby you should find some clothes, keys, manuscripts and a ribbon. The clothes are for you to wear, but you will need to buy more. If you look inside the jeans back pocket you should find 100,000 Jewels, this should give you enough money to find somewhere to stay plus clothes and food, but it won't last long. _

Lana looked inside the back pocket of the jeans. There was a wad of jewels in there, just like Lucy said.

_This is where the keys come in. I want you to take care of these keys for me until I can collect them from you, but in the meantime they're yours to use. You have the same power as me so you should be able to use them on freelancing jobs. Take good care of those keys Lana. They're my friends._

"The keys are her friends?" Lana was confused at this, but then realised, "Oh yeah, celestial spirits!"

_The manuscripts are for you to keep and complete. I'm sure you'll be able to finish them for me and maybe even publish them._

Lana gasped. Her become a writer? If that was Lucy's wish she would try her best!

_Lastly, the ribbon. This is my favourite hair accessory, please treat it well. It means a lot to me._

Of course Lana would treat it well. She would never let the ribbon be damaged.

Lana placed the keys neatly on the small bolder where she had found _Lucy's Life_, and then picked up the clothes. She began to change...or at least tried to change...

The girl miraculously knew to start with the underwear but somehow managed to secure the bra around her head and wear the panties dangling off of one arm. It took several more attempts to put the underwear on. And many more attempts to get the rest of the clothing on.

Eventually, Lana had managed to change fully and wearing everything in the right place, although it was now midday, rather than early morning. It had taken her a lot of time to don the outfit Lucy had arranged for her.

The attire consisted of a crimson wrap top with a jewel neck line, a pair light blue jeans, a cropped pale green cardigan and flared brown boots, reaching just above the knees. Conveniently, a small satchel-like handbag was also in the jumble of clothes.

Lana packed the book, money and manuscripts into her bag; however she decided to clip the ring of keys on to her jean's belt loop. She felt safer like that.

"Better get started then..." Lana told herself. But how would she get started?

Now pondering over it, Lucy's request seemed harder than initially portrayed.

Lana supposed she should tell Fairy Tail directly. At no point in Lucy's book did it say she couldn't come into contact with a member of Fairy Tail. It did have instructions on what her story should be if she came into contact with one though...

_If you should ever happen to meet one of my guild members and they want the account of my death from you, answer with this story. There are magic haters killing mages in Seven at this time. Tell them I was attacked and burned to death by them, whilst on my way to visit you. If they inquire about your identity, answer that you are my friend, the daughter of a business man who had been on good terms with my parents._

That should suffice. Besides, it seemed only right to tell Lucy's Nakama directly, not just through the hearsay of strangers. That appeared heartless to Lana.

...

After clambering down the cliff, Lana had reached the outskirts of Magnolia.

She entered the town studying the residents and architecture in awe. Magnolia seemed even more majestic from this point of view. Everything was even more overwhelming and exhilarating whilst in the midst of it all. The smells, the sights, the sounds Lana took in all of it as she meandered through the town's boulevard.

She strolled contently for a while, her destination Fairy Tail, but then it hit her. She didn't even know where the Fairy Tail guild was. She could be wandering around for hours in search for it.

Where should she look?

As Lana contemplated where she could begin to look a sudden wave of sickness hit her, causing her to have to rush to the edge of a narrow side street in order not to throw up all over passersby. Once in the alley the brunette bent over a gutter to the side of the pathway. She was sick into the gutter.

Lana felt slightly better after being sick, however that small relief vanished as that horrible ill feeling came back to her.

The girl once again bent over the drain gagging and retching.

As soon as Lana was sure she wouldn't be sick again she fell back on to her bum, cringing at the foul taste in her mouth and wiped the remaining vomit from her mouth. Lana wasn't exactly sure what was happening to her but she knew it couldn't be good.

"You shouldn't be out on your own, human. Not in your condition."

"Huh?" Lana looked up and saw a tall woman with an incensed expression upon her face. On seeing her, the blue-eyed girl jumped in fright.

This woman scared her. Not only was Lana sure she had been standing next to her for more than a couple of minutes, but even with her being rather elderly, she still looked as if she could injure her as well as someone a quarter of her age could. Her disposition showed that clearly.

"P-Pardon?" Lana said timidly.

The woman leaned closer to Lana; some of her pink tresses falling from her up-do, making her look even more crazed. "You shouldn't be out in the on your own in your condition." She repeated.

"Err... What condition?"

"Don't you even know?" The pink haired woman asked in irritation, "Your pregnant, girl."

Lana cocked her head to one side in confusion, "What's...pregnant?" She recognised the word but wasn't sure of its meaning.

The old woman was now quite shocked, "You don't even know what pregnant means? I can understand you are young but you should at least know what that means, considering you are pregnant yourself."

"I...Should?"

"Yes you should! This is why I hate humans!" The woman growled.

"Aren't you a human though?" Lana sweatdropped.

"Quiet, girl. Pregnancy," She began, "In other words, being pregnant is where you have a child growing inside of you, another damn human. In some month's time, you shall give birth to a small baby human. It will be your offspring."

Lana subconsciously raised a hand to her stomach. "But...How could you tell?"

"I have been a doctor for most of my life now and am very skilled and knowledgeable. I can tell even if you do not bare any visible bump as of yet." The lady with pink hair said coldly.

"Bump?"

More furrows appeared on her forehead as she scowled. "Girl, I can't answer all your questions. I have to be getting to Fairy Tail."

"You're going to Fairy Tail?" The pregnant girl gasped happily, "That's great! I have business there too. You can show me the way and tell me more about this...pregnancy and bump."

"Brilliant." The elder muttered.

"By the way, I never did catch your name." Lana said cheerfully.

"That's because I never said it, stupid girl. My name is Porlyusica. And yours is?"

"My name is...Err..." Lana scratched the bridge of her nose in thought, "Lana! Lana, that's it. My name is Lana; it's nice to meet you Porlyusica." Lana grinned at red-eyed woman, no longer scared. Lucy had mentioned Porlyusica in her book, she had said _although she seems to have a misanthropic__ nature, I'm sure she actually likes some people. She's been very kind to Fairy Tail and me, despite being chased by her brandishing a broom once or twice. _

...

Porlyusica stalked down the main street ahead of the breathless Lana, who had to take long strides in order to keep up with the doctor's quick pace.

"S-So the bump gets bigger as the baby gets bigger?" Lana verified, panting heavily.

"Yes," Porlyusica answered in exasperation, "Isn't that what I just said?"

"Sorry, I just wanted to be sure." The brunette smiled sheepishly.

Porlyusica sighed and turned to face up ahead, she could see Fairy Tail in the distance. It would only be a few more minutes and this bothersome human would be out of her hair.

But it was strange though...

This girl...Shouldn't she be able to recall her own name? She struggled even to that. Porlyusica found it exceptionally peculiar that Lana should not even know what it is to be pregnant. How did she even know how to make the baby in the first place? Strange...

...

"I'm bored~" Natsu whined, slumped over Fairy Tail's bar counter. "Lisanna, let's go on a job!"

Lisanna, sat on the bar stool next to Natsu, smiled and replied, "Sure."

The dragon slayer immediately jumped up and exclaimed, "I'm all fired up! Happy, help me pick out a job!"

"Aye sir!" Happy saluted his partner, following him to the request board.

Lisanna giggled and turned to her sister, who stood behind the bar cleaning glasses. "Mir-"

At that point the guild doors burst open, revealing a tall elderly woman from behind the wooden entrance.

This startled the guild members and drew everyone's attention, however, once they recognised the surly pink haired doctor, Porlyusica, they went back to they're usual business.

"Makarov !" She barked.

_Hiccup _"Over here~" The Master called. The little old man sat giggling and waving on the bar top, a flagon of beer in one hand.

Porlyusica briskly walked over to the old man, followed apprehensively by Lana. The doctor stopped just before him.

"Hello, Porlyusica~ And whose this with you?" The Master peered behind Porlyusica and a perverted grin appeared upon his face. "My, my, what a pretty young lady you've brought with you." The Master's arm stretched out towards Lana's backside.

_SLAP! _"Oh, sorry... Thank you, Porlyusica. I needed that." The Master said, rubbing his inflamed cheek. "What brings you here?"

"Makarov... I bring some troubling news... I've heard that one of your Fairy's is travelling to the Kingdom of Seven, is that not correct?" Porlyusica eyes reflected the severity of the information she carried.

The Master's previously jovial expression turned to uneasy one. "Lucy...Yes...She's visiting some of her parent's old friends."

When the Master spoke their Celestial Mage's name, all became silent, attention focused on the Master and Porlyusica. No one dared speak. A Jewel could be heard if dropped in the guild hall now.

A gravelly voice spoke out, "What about Lucy?" Natsu stepped forwards, staring at Porlyusica, his features dour.

"Natsu..." Happy spoke softly.

"What about Lucy?!" Natsu said again, his voice harsher this time.

"Now is not a good time to be travelling to Seven..." The doctor answered eyes downcast to the floor. "At the moment, in Seven, many radicals opposing magic have began to carry out attacks on wizards. They say 'Magic is a sin, staining humanity. And all its users should be wiped from the face of Earthland, burned at the stake.' I heard this from a mage who escaped that Kingdom; he stumbled upon my house one day. He had severe burns and looked as if he barely escaped with his life."

"_Just as Lucy said..."_ Lana thought, "_Is it possible...possible that Lucy organised that man to find Porlyusica. No, she can't have. That would be too difficult. Then, that means there really are attacks going on in Seven...How did Lucy know about these?"_

"Lucy!" Mira gasped, "Lucy has gone to Seven!"

"She's in danger..." Gray said, his hands clenched into fists.

"Lu-chan..." Levy uttered.

"Master." Erza spoke out, "Please...Please let me follow Lucy to Seven. I have to make sure she's safe."

"Yes... I believe we must travel there straight away." The Master said, "Lucy is cleaver, but she is kind. She won't want to harm civilians even if they may be extreme activists... We need to get to her before she comes in harm's way."

It was once again silent.

Until Natsu's burning fist landed on a table, causing the wood to splinter and snap. "Let's hurry up and go then! We're wasting time here!" The fire mage walked to the doors, determination showing in his eyes, determination to bring back Lucy.

Lana felt that unpleasant lump form in her throat again as she watched the guild members, the lump that meant she was going to cry. She felt horrible, horrible because she knew she would now have to break the news of Lucy's death to them. Of course it was a lie, but they were not to know that.

Lana was snapped out of her thoughts by a desperate voice. "Please, Natsu! It's dangerous! At least come up with a plan before you go!" The youngest take-over mage begged Natsu, her hand tugging on his wrist.

"Let go Lisanna! I'm going, don't try to stop me!" Natsu growled, pulling his arm from her grip.

"Listen to her..." Lana finally spoke. It was less than a whisper, but he still heard her. He had his dragon hearing to thank for that.

The pink haired teen stopped and turned to face Lana.

"You should listen to her." The brunette said, louder this time, loud enough for all the guild members to hear her. "You shouldn't go wasting a trip to Seven. You could be throwing away lives for nothing by going there."

Porlyusica snapped her head sharply in the direction of Lana. "What do you mean, girl?!"

"Lucy...She's dead."

* * *

**Thank you;**

**Blossom Azalea****, ****desandted****, ****GoldenRoseTanya****, ****Ghibly101**** and the guests!**

**So far I suppose its Naomi whose winning but I'm going to let this go on for a few more chapters to see if anyone else has their opinion to share.**

**Just a heads up this story might possibly leave you very surprised; the plot twist will probably be kind of unexpected. Just a warning :D**

**By the way what story summary is better the first or second, I'm not sure...**

**Yonde kurete Arigatō…**

**Sayōnara!**


	3. Shock

**This is a story of a faked death, a girl with no memories and an unexplained pregnancy. Fairy Tail believes Lucy to be dead, but what happens when mysteries start to unravel? And the supposedly dead Celestial Mage, returns to Fairy Tail to find that everyone has changed and the boy she loved is now with someone else?**

**Tanoshinde kudasai!**

* * *

**We are One : Shock**

"What...did you say?" Mira asked with wide eyes.

"Lucy is gone..." Lana said, her eyes starting to water. Fortunately, seeing the Fairy's anguished expressions was enough to set off her tears. Lana doubted her acting skills would be enough to pull her through otherwise.

"No..." Wendy uttered in a quiet voice, "Lucy-san, she can't be... Lucy-san is strong!"

"It's true!" Lana cried, desperate for Fairy Tail to believe her. She had to get this right, Lucy was counting on her. It had to be important. "I saw it with my own eyes!"

She said something she regretted. She saw her die... How was she meant to explain that?

Some guild members gasped and shared dazed glances between each other.

But they didn't believe her yet.

"Lies..." The brunette heard a growl from near the door. "LIES!" Natsu made a mad dash for Lana, pushing past his fellow guild members.

Her reaction was slow. She barely had time to lift one leg before the dragon slayer had her pinned up against one of the guild's walls. Lana's feet dangled in midair as the dragon slayer drove her against the wall, his arm pressing against her throat.

Shrill voices cried out, as Lana slowly suffocated under Natsu's grasp. They were calling him, telling him to stop. But to him and Lana, all that they could hear was each other. Lana's spluttering gasps and Natsu's hoarse breathing.

The girl struggled for a few moments but then gave up, sure she couldn't escape. At her surrender she looked to the fire mage and he looked back. His eyes displayed emotions of spite and angst.

_"They really do care for Lucy... Somewhere deep down...I think he believes me. So what does he want; to kill the bearer of such news? I can't blame him. I can only imagine the pain..."_ Lana's eyes softened.

Her lips parted. No sound came out. It was nothing more than a breath. But her lips still moved.

_Please, believe._

Natsu's pupils dilated and he immediately let her drop to the floor.

He believed her. Natsu believed Lana, although he had been prevent himself from doing so before. He wanted scream out Lucy was alive and safe, just waiting for him to come and save her. He wanted to march off to seven, rescue Lucy form danger, and then go on a mission. Just Team Natsu.

But of course reality is much harsher...

Raising a trembling hand to cover his face, he staggered back a few places and fell on to a bar stool.

All of the Fairy Tail members were overcome with the same stunned appearance. They stared at Natsu. And then it started to sink in.

Some of Lucy's Nakama held each other close, like how Levy buried her face into Gajeel's chest. Heavy sobs racked through the petite script mage's body, whilst a grim look was set upon the iron dragon slayer's face.

Cana dropped her bottle of wine, causing the glass to smash into hundreds of tiny pieces. She didn't attempt to stop it from falling; she had just sat there, frozen.

However Mira did go to clean up the sticky liquid. She grabbed an old cloth from behind the bar and made her way over to the mess. The eldest Strauss sibling crouched down next to the broken bottle and began to wipe up the wine. Her bottom lip quivered as she cleaned and soon burst into tears, her hands grazing against the fractured glass. A forlorn Elfman and Lisanna rushed to comfort their sister, pulling her wounded hands away from the smashed bottle.

"My child..." The master whimpered. His own child was dead and he hadn't been there to protect her. That thought was like a severe physical wound to the little old man.

And team Natsu, they were the most aggrieved.

Gray squatted down into a small ball shape, seizing handfuls of his own hair, like he was determined to pull it out. His features were scrunched up in anguish.

Juvia didn't attempt to console her love. She knew nothing she could say or do would ever heal his or her own pain of losing Lucy.

Erza's fist came into contact with one of Fairy Tail's wooden beams. The wood caved in, splitters digging into Titania's knuckles. She wasn't even wearing gauntlets, she had specifically requipped out of them, out of her armour. She only wore her white blouse and blue skirt.

Erza wanted to feel pain. She wanted to rid herself of the regret and desolate feeling she got from her Nakama's death and replace it with hurt. If only she had gone with Lucy to Seven.

And Happy was held in Wendy's arms with Carla. They were crying. Even Carla was weeping into Wendy's dress. But Happy who was one of Lucy's closest friends, no matter how many times he scratched her walls or teased her or ate all her fish, was crying so loudly it almost drowned out any other sound in the guild hall.

Others reacted in a similar way. It was either stay strong, find comfort or let the horror eat away at you from the inside.

Porlyusica turned to Lana her eyebrows knitted together, frowning. "Child...you said you saw it..."

Lana sat against the wall where she had been dropped, knees tucked under her chin. "Yes, I saw it..." She replied, bowing her head. She didn't want to meet their eyes. Lucy's family... This was difficult for her. So she averted her eyes to the floor and let a cascade of russet curls fall over her countenance.

The cerulean ribbon, unnoticed by Lana, came loose in her hair and it fluttered to the floor.

Natsu's nose twitched.

Lucy.

He could smell Lucy...and blood.

He stood up, bangs covering his features.

"Natsu!" Lisanna called worriedly.

He ignored her. "Where did you get that?" He asked, pointing to the ribbon that lay upon dusty floor by Lana's feet.

She looked to Natsu, then the ribbon, but said nothing.

Steadily, he walked to the hair accessory and picked it up. "This was Lucy's right? I can smell her on this. And I can smell blood." He looked up. His tone sounded so calm, but his expression spoke otherwise. He scared Lana. He was even scaring his friends.

"So what did you do?" The Salamander asked, leaning over Lana, "Kill her? Kill her and take this?"

The brunette shook her head frantically. Tears of terror began forming in the corners of her eyes. "No. I didn't. I would never-"

He saw the glint of the keys attached to her jeans. "-And I see you took the keys too. Are they like a trophy to you? HUH?! Do you take pride in this?!"

Porlyusica hit the back of Natsu's head. The strong blow made him fall to the floor.

"Stop this now, boy!" She barked to the fallen teen, who was rubbing his head, seemingly awakening from some sort of stupor.

"Look at her!" Porlyusica pointed to Lana. "Does she look like a killer to you?! As a mage, you should have seen people like that, people with that bloodthirsty gleam in their eyes. Now look into her eyes!" The doctor ordered. "All of you! She is no murderer..."

Everyone looked. Even if it was just a glance, they all looked.

They could see the girl, backed away as far as she could from Natsu and quivering slightly. Her striking sapphire eyes were wide in trepidation. She looked almost like a small animal cornered by a predator.

"Does she look like a murder to you?!" She asked again.

Natsu shook his head.

"Now then." Porlyusica sighed, rubbing her temples. "I think you should all listen to the girl explain, what exactly happened. Anyone who doesn't think they can manage that at the moment, I advise you to leave now."

They were silent.

The elder took that as a 'Yes' to continue.

She directed her gaze to Lana, still scared stiff. She gently placed a hand on the brunettes shoulder and asked, "Would it be all right if you tell them?"

To say Lana was surprised would be an understatement. She was amazed this woman had a soft side to her. In fact, she almost wanted to pinch herself to check it was real or not. She had already gotten used to Porlyusica's bad-tempered, antagonistic personality that it came as a shock to her.

Stunned into submission, Lana mechanically nodded.

The elder patted her back and took a seat at the nearest table, chin resting on her clasped hands. "Whenever you're ready, Lana."

Lana blinked.

Then she looked around the room.

Although suffering, all the guild members looked to her in expectation. They knew it would hurt to hear of it, nevertheless they felt as if they had to know how Lucy died. Not one of them was going to leave the room or cover their ears. They were all going to listen.

But Lana didn't know what to say.

Lucy had already given her a vague description of what she should say...

_If you should ever happen to meet one of my guild members and they want the account of my death from you, answer with this story. There are magic haters killing mages in Seven at this time. Tell them I was attacked and burned to death by them, whilst on my way to visit you. If they inquire about your identity, answer that you are my friend, the daughter of a business man who had been on good terms with my parents._

It all matched with what she had already heard form Porlyusica. That woman couldn't be involved in Lucy's plan, could she?

No... For some reason that didn't seem likely at all to Lana.

And there was the issue of Lana having 'seen Lucy die'. She now had to make up a detailed story on the spot.

On the inside Lana was panicking. She didn't know what to do.

But then a though came to her... Lucy had entrusted her with her manuscripts. Lana was meant to finish them. She was going to become a novelist.

If she couldn't invent a tale now, it would be shameful to even consider calling herself a writer.

Lana took a deep breath and began. "Recently in my country, there have been terrible things going on... There are people who hate magic and will kill any mages just to be rid of it.

Those activists have a belief...

'Magic is a sin, staining humanity. And all its users should be wiped from the face of Earthland, burned at the stake.'

This creed, in essence, means they believe by burning a wizard alive, they are doing something they call 'cleansing'. The belief originated as their order came to be... It's like their own religion as such. According to them, if the magic is purified from the only way they know how, in other words fire, it will be taken out of the...magic cycle..." Lana trailed off.

It was silent a moment before the brunette spoke again, "Does... Does this all make sense so far?"

"Mmm," Porlyusica responded, "It makes sense. You're saying there is a religious order who hates magic because of their faith. They're burning people alive, right? But I would like to learn more about this magic cycle they believe in."

"Well... I don't know a lot about it but basically, the magic cycle is how no magic can be created or destroyed. Once a mage dies the magic they use will not disappear, the magic energy will be transferred to something else; a human, an animal, a rock. Anything with magical qualities. However, it appears that they have seemingly found a way to take magic out of the system, for good. By using a 'divine flame' they can destroy the magical energy and break its connection with the flow of the universe. I don't think that actually happens though; it's just a crazy theory." She explained.

"So that means Lucy was..." Bisca gasped, squeezing her husband's hand tighter.

"Yes...She was..." Lana answered, "Burnt at the stake."

It's said to burn, may be the most painful death to face. Maybe that's why the name Salamander is renowned by both good and bad wizards alike. To take on Natsu as your opponent would be a dangerous act indeed.

But the idea of no escape and no mercy within Lucy's death, be it pretend or not, was a vile thought to Lana. What a dreadful thing it would be to slaughter people in masses that way. She could only imagine what it would be like if this sort of thing was actually going on.

She could tell the Fairies were having similar thoughts. Their appalled expressions were evident enough.

Jet gulped. "H-How? How was she caught?"

"Well as you all know, Lucy is clever. She caught onto what was going on in Seven almost as soon as she got there." Lana said, "I suppose she was staying in hiding for most of the time she was in Seven... Well that at least is what I assumed. I was going to meet Lucy again..."

"Y-You knew L-Lucy-san?" Wendy sniffed, wiping her puffy eyes with the back of her hand.

Lana smiled fondly. _"In a sense..."_ She would like to answer, but kept that thought to herself.

"Yes, from when we were little girls. Our fathers' were business associates, so it became a regular thing to visit each other. After a few times of meeting it was like our families had known each other for years. We were best friends; I could understand Lucy better than anyone."

_"I know all about her..." _She paused for a moment, thinking about what she had read earlier that day, before continuing.

"But after Lucy's mother died, I couldn't see her anymore... I'd always hoped maybe one day we would be able to meet again...so when I found a letter outside my residence in the grounds, I was overjoyed to find it was from Lucy. It was fairly obvious she had thrown it over the front gate, since it was tied to a rock. The letter had told me to meet her in the forest clearing we had played at when we were children at mid-night.

At first I was a little apprehensive; I already knew about what was going on in my country. Lucy would have too... I was worried about the radicals finding her...or me even for that matter. Lucy and I are both wizards. To be found and captured would mean an instant execution for the both of us. I'm sure they would have killed my parents too, even though they don't use magic, just because they're related to me...

Mid-night came soon and I was prepared to leave. I didn't tell mother or father I was going. I slipped out of the back door without anyone noticing me and wriggled through a hole under our gate. It took me quite a while to get through the forest because of the pack of provisions I took for Lucy... If only I hadn't taken them, I wish I could have got there quicker. She was ambushed..."

Lana buried her face into her hands, knuckles whitening. She could see flames; hear bloodcurdling screams, people everywhere. And the worst part was the searing pain, like that of burning, she suffered. It felt almost as if her head was going to split into two.

"I-I was too late..." She choked out, still clutching at her cranium.

Porlyusica got to her feet and swiftly made her way over to Lana, leaving each other person still getting a handle on the story behind in her wake. The doctor crouched down next to the girl, forcibly pulled her hands' away from her face and placed a forefinger and thumb over each of her eyes. She stretched open the brunette's blue eyes, examining them.

She sighed. "Just as I thought..."

The pink-haired woman then got back up and pointed to Gray. "Help me carry the girl to the infirmary. And Wendy, could you help treat her." She pointed to the little bluenette.

They both looked to the floor for a moment, before Wendy nodded rigidly and Gray said nothing. He simply walked to Lana, wound one of her hands around his neck and helped her hobble into the guild's infirmary.

Wendy went in after and Porlyusica followed last, giving the Fairies a small bow before closing the infirmary door behind her.

...

Lana had passed out as soon as Gray had laid her down on the bed closest to the window.

Although she was unconscious, she writhed and thrashed about.

Gray decided to bind her tightly under the cotton bed covers', restricting her movements. She could have caused damage to herself otherwise.

The brunette still tussled in the bed but almost immediately discontinued; she had worn herself out.

Wheezing, Lana screwed up her features and a few beads of sweat began to form on her forehead.

She was evidently in pain.

Gray wasn't partial to seeing her like this. An expression like this wasn't befitting of the girl. He hadn't known her for long, but he wanted to help her. To help the girl who had been through such an ordeal and seemed like the type who deserved to be protected. Besides, Lucy would want him to care for her, right? She was her childhood friend.

Wendy seemed to be having similar thoughts to Gray because when the ice mage quickly scanned the infirmary for anything that could be of assistance, Wendy pushed a bowl of cool water and a small cream towel into his hands.

Sitting on a stool near the top end of the bed, Gray dipped the cloth into the water and carefully placed it on Lana's warm brow.

Her face muscles seemed to relax as she came in contact with the towel. It must have taken some of the pain away.

Wendy pulled another stool up next to Gray and asked Porlyusica quietly, "Do you know...what's wrong with her?"

Still standing beside the door, the healer answered, "Besides the usual pregnancy indications there was nothing else I saw in my time with her. These symptoms are very strange indeed..."

"S-She's pregnant?!" Wendy gasped in shock.

"Yes." She replied, not looking at Wendy but judging Lana's condition whilst talking. She looked over her pale physique and Gray wetting the towel once again, "But I'm not yet sure what this could be..."

The sky dragon slayer panicked. "This is terrible! She made the journey all the way to Magnolia on her own and worse, Natsu-san may have hurt her or the baby!"

She swiftly raised her hands over the brunette's sleeping form, a soft glow emitting from them. After a few moments, Wendy withdrew her hands and looked somewhat relieved. "Thank goodness... There's no sign of any damage other than a few bruises. I've already healed them."

Porlyusica frowned, "Do you sense anything else within her, like a presence of some sort or an empty feeling?"

Wendy shook her head, "Not at all..."

_"So there's dark magic within her... Then what could be causing this?"_ Porlyusica thought.

"Wendy, you go back to the guild hall. You've put enough strain on yourself."

"But I've hardly done anything..." Wendy protested.

The elder gave her a stern look causing Wendy to give in.

The dragon slayer stood up, taking one last sparing glance at Lana before exiting the infirmary.

She faced Gray, who had been listening intently but still checking on Lana, and said, "Could you stay here and tend to her? I'm sorry to ask of this at such a time but I cannot stay. I have important business to discuss with the Master if he's up to it and I'm afraid Wendy might not be able to cope at the moment... But you seem to be handling this better..."

"It's fine." Gray answered, dabbing at Lana's face.

"Alright then... I'll be back as soon as I can." Porlyusica left the room.

"Okay." Gray yelled back and then sighed.

Was he handling this well?

He had just been told one of his best fiends was dead. How did she think he felt?

Gray had never been the type to show his emotions. He always worked his best to keep up is cool and slightly cocky look and never to let anything sway him. But after Lucy came he had started laugh and cry more. His daily routine was no longer just fight with Natsu and go on solo jobs. With the arrival of Lucy, along came the formation of Team Natsu. She was like glue that had kept them together and could patch things up with just a smile.

But she died...

Right now, he supposed he looked indifferent alike to how he normally did before Lucy came. Everyone must think he had such a cold-heart... But he couldn't help it; he was just in the habit of being that way. He'd only let lose a little of his true emotion after hearing the news. It was a shock and had left a deep scar on his heart.

Gray felt something trickle down his cheek and to his mouth. He could taste the saltiness of tears.

He didn't try to wipe them away. He let them fall freely.

* * *

**Wow...It's almost been a month...**

**Any way I'm back with my next update, I hope you enjoyed it. Lana had a lot to say didn't she? She has amazing story telling skills, but there are some flaws in it. I wonder if you spotted them... And are they my own mistakes or were they actually meant to be there? Well, whatever. It doesn't really matter.**

**Okay, I have some important points now. Pay close attention...**

**1, about the naming Lana thing... Since she's pregnant I was wondering if you wanted the baby to be called Naomi or actually call Lana Naomi... because I can change the names in about a second, I just need guidance. And now I'm used to typing Lana. I'm so confused... :s**

**2, Can I just say some of these reviews really made my day. I was able to finish this today after I read through the reviews because I felt so motivated.**

**3, I might be really slow in updating stories at the moment. Sorry. It's mainly because of writers block and also because of me slacking off and watching loads of new anime. Plus the ones on my profile I've now finished **_**Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica**_**, **_**Skip Beat (reading manga), Kodocha, The Wallflower, Kimi Ni Todoke **_**and I'm in the middle of watching **_**Zero No Tsukaima, One Piece, Toradora!, Shugo Chara, Shakugan No Shana, Uta No Prince Sama, Full Moon Wo Sagashite.**_

**They're all really good anime and would recommend you watch them if you have free time. But a warning, some have over a hundred episodes.**

**4, Has anyone seen the 4****th**** Fairy Tail OVA yet?! It's amazing! The girls get drunk resulting in little bits of NaLu and Gruvia. Yesh! Watch it! :D**

**Yonde kurete Arigatō…**

**Sayōnara!**


	4. Funeral

**Just as Lucy was at her happiest she finds herself in a terrible predicament, which will not only put her in danger but Fairy Tail too. She decides that in order to protect her Nakama she must fake her death. But will Lucy be able to forget her family so easily? And with Natsu determined not to believe Lucy is dead, will Fairy Tail be able move on?**

**Tanoshinde kudasai! – Please Enjoy!**

* * *

**We are One : ****Funeral**

Lana stirred.

Sluggishly, she opened her eyes. A slight twinge of pain ran through her nerves, causing her to wrinkle her nose in discomfort. She felt nothing like she did before but her head was still throbbing. Luckily, the aching was diminishing.

She heard a sniff. Turning her head to the side, she could see it belonged to one of the Fairies. He held a damp towel in one of his hands and was bent over, with another hand covering his face. She tried to sit up, but failed. It seemed she was bound rather tightly in some bed covers. "Excuse me...Are you ok?" She asked after hearing him sniff once again.

At first he jolted in surprise but then smiled bitterly, "Isn't that what I'm meant to be asking you?"

Lana made no sound as Gray continued to sob quietly. She did not speak until after Gray wiped his eyes and looked to her, regaining his usual composure. "Maybe..." She finally replied; somewhat relieved he was able to calm himself down, "I'm not really sure how to answer that question. I'm kind of confused. But I remember what I just told you all before, so I thought you might be worse off than me at the moment."

He gave a feeble laugh. "Heh. Yeah. I suppose that's true."

Once more, they fell into silence. Lana didn't know what to say or if she should say anything at all. She could trigger more lamentation if she wasn't careful with her word choice. Gray continued to pat her brow with the towel and Lana was attempting look anywhere but at Gray. It was very awkward.

"So...how long was I out for?" Lana had decided to start a conversation completely unrelated to Lucy and hopefully wouldn't revert back to that subject. She wanted to keep this man from thinking about his dead Nakama as little as possible; mainly because she felt guilty for telling them this lie, but also because she didn't like seeing him upset.

"Probably about 30 minutes...I'm not sure." He answered, seemingly unfazed by her question. He displayed no signs of crying again, nor did he ignore her. But the brunette did wonder whether his emotions showing on the outside matched those on the inside. Was he really fine?

"And, where am I?"

"My guild's infirmary."

"Infirmary..." That word was familiar...What did it mean? She knew it had to be something to do with medical treatment since there was apparatus and medicines all around the room. So an infirmary was a room like a hospital. And that could only mean she had something wrong with her.

"What's wrong with me then?"

"That, girl, still remains a mystery to me." Porlyusica answered, from the doorway of the infirmary.

"Porlyusica!" Lana exclaimed in shock. How long had she been standing there?

"How's Master?" Gray asked, before Lana could say anything.

"Not too good." The old woman sighed, "After we brought Lana here, he barricaded himself in his office. I had to break down the door... However despite his state, he has decided the funeral will take place in three days time. He says he wished there was a body to bury but under these circumstances..." Her eyes softened for a moment.

"And he has strictly forbidden anyone to leave the guild and seek revenge! I've made sure to tell everyone else and it includes you too! Besides...he said Lucy wouldn't want anyone to revenge her..."

"No...She wouldn't." Gray agreed.

There was a moment of quiet before Porlyusica spoke again, "I expect you to stay in here at least until the funeral, girl. I will need to monitor your state due to your pregnancy and these unknown symptoms you have displayed."

"But I really don't want to impose. I should be go-"

"It was not a suggestion." Porlyusica interrupted, "It was a order. You will stay here until I discharge you; is that clear."

"Yes..."

"Good. Now that's settled you may leave Gray." She told the ice mage.

He nodded and made to leave, handing Porlyusica the bowl and towel; but just before he could exit Lana called out, "Wait! Thank you...and sorry."

He had stopped with his back facing them, raised a hand in farewell, and then left the room.

...

The next few days passed very slowly for Lana. She was confined to the infirmary with no one to talk to but Porlyusica, who was not known for her jovialness. If ever Lana tried to start a conversation with her, it would usually end in being badmouthed or scolded.

There were others who visited her occasionally, like little Wendy Marvell. She chatted to her merrily, but her smiles had always seemed forced. Lana had inquired if she really felt up to tending to her right now. Wendy replied telling her that she wouldn't feel right if she didn't care for her. She still appeared rather sad though.

Gray also visited once. This came to a surprise to Lana; she hadn't expected to see Gray again and certainly not on his own terms. The few times he dropped in, he spoke very little, only ever asking her how she felt or if there was any news from Porlyusica about her condition. The rest of the time was spent in silence.

And eventually came the day of the funeral. Lucy's funeral. It was the day Lana was finally allowed out of the infirmary. Porlyusica had told her she was discharged and was free to attend the funeral if she wished, which was to commence at midday.

But did Lana want to attend? That's what she pondered the whole morning; if she should go or not. She thought maybe she should just leave quietly and hope nobody would notice her go. She might have had to explain more to the Fairies; or maybe she would even have to give a speech at the funeral. She didn't want to do that.

But then again, it only seemed right to her to be there; even if Lucy wasn't dead. People might find it odd if she didn't go. After all, she was playing the part of Lucy's childhood friend. She should be among the mourners. In the end she decided she would go but stand far back, away from everyone else. She would leave quickly at the end of the funeral before anyone knew she was gone.

...

It was a few minutes till midday when Lana got out of her bed in the infirmary. She wanted to be slightly late to the funeral to make sure she wouldn't be noticed when she got there. She changed out of the infirmary nightgown she had been given by Porlyusica a few days ago and folded it neatly, placing it on the end of her bed. She wouldn't need it now.

Her other clothes, given to her by Lucy were already in her bag; but they were hardly appropriate for a funeral. Fortunately, Porlyusica brought in a beautiful dress and low high heels the other day; she had told her Mira made the gown.

It was a flowing dress that was completely in black apart from the white ribbon that tied around the waist. It fell just below her knees, had long sleeves and didn't expose too much skin around the bust. Once she put it on she couldn't help but think it looked good on her. And she had to admire Mira's handiwork too. The take-over mage had made the dress beautifully and it was very sensible for a funeral. Mira was so kind; just like Lucy had said.

After changing, Lana hurried to Magnolia's Cathedral, the place the funeral would be held. The moment she opened the grand wooden doors of Fairy Tail, she felt a shiver run through her. It was awfully cold and blanket of snow covered all of Magnolia. It was a picturesque sight. It must have been some time in winter for snow to fall so heavily. She would have to try and find out the date later.

Lana reached the memorial service later than she had planned. The snow had slowed her down considerably and also chilled her to the bone. She made her way to the Cathedral's graveyard, where she saw a crowd of people gathered around a headstone. She stood at the back of the group and listened to the sermon with closed eyes. The priest rambled on a bit about going to heaven and such other religious stuff and then he talked about Lucy's life story. It was dull and only outlined the main points of her family and joining Fairy Tail. It was nothing like the book Lana had read which gave her an experience of these events in what seemed like firsthand.

Then the Master stepped forwards. He laid flowers on the grave and spoke, his voice shaky, "Lucy Heartfilia...

She was an amazing wizard and an even better person. She was a rare flower, in this ever growing world of evil; and in the time she spent with us we saw her bloom. Every day she would be there, fighting, crying and laughing with us. She was a friend to everyone. She had a trusting nature; a kind heart. And her smile...That smile kept us all going; liberating us of the fear and darkness that may have lurked in our hearts. Her beauty and spirit were as radiant as a star that burned bright through any struggle we faced.

It isn't fair...for Lucy's life to be taken away when it had only just begun... It isn't fair at all. Lucy...s-she was like a daughter to me and I will always cherish her memory."

Everyone bowed their heads in respect for the deceased.

...

When the ceremony ended Lana found herself hiding behind a huge angle statue instead of fleeing like she initially had planned. Why didn't she run? Lana inwardly cursed her own stupidity. But at least she could still leave after everyone else was gone.

The crowds of mourners eventually dispersed, after they had all paid their respects at Lucy's grave. The cemetery was empty. It was Lana's perfect time to go unnoticed. But as the brunette started to walk she found herself heading for Lucy's grave and not the exit. Her legs had taken Lana there before she knew it and she found her eyes gazing intently at the words engraved on the headstone. _Lucy Heartfilia, X767 to X792; may she continue to shine bright for all eternity..._

The sound of feet crunching in the snow alerted Lana to another's presence. She quickly turned to face the person.

It was Natsu. His salmon coloured hair was covered in fluffy white snow, along with his very impractical clothing. It was snowing and he was showing of his bare chest, _the idiot_. Although Lana could vaguely remember him being some kind of fire mage; maybe that was why he could wear such clothing.

As Lana inspected him closer she could tell he hadn't changed attire since they had last met, the day she had arrived at Fairy Tail. Moreover, he was bruised and bloody all over and the dark circles under his eyes made it evident he hadn't even slept in those few days either. But what stood out to her the most was the branch he held. She supposed it was for Lucy. But why did Natsu want to give her a bare branch with no flowers or green leaves? Curiosity got the better of Lana and ended up inquiring, "What's that?"

Natsu's eyes flickered to Lana for a moment but then back to the grave. "It's from the Rainbow Sakura tree." He made a hole in the snow and earth beside the grave and planted the branch upright into the ground.

Lana vaguely remembered a picture of tree with Rainbow Petals in Lucy's book. It was very beautiful. "You want it to grow from that?"

"Yeah." He nodded.

"I'm sure Lucy would be glad. She said when you pulled the tree out of the ground for her and sent it sailing down the canal she was very happy... I can tell you cared for her a lot." She smiled warmly.

Natsu was taken by surprise. "How did you-?!"

"Lucy sent me a letter a while ago. She told me lots about you." At least her lie rang true. "She also told me you got badly told off afterwards."

"Yeah I did..." Natsu scratched the back of his head sheepishly, like a little boy caught in wrong doing. "But it was worth it." He grinned toothily.

Lana guessed that this was the first time he had smiled since the celestial spirit mage's 'death'. That must be how much he liked Lucy; maybe love even. It was heartbreaking to see Natsu as he was now. He looked almost lost as his smile vanished. He must have felt vulnerable and alone. Lana wished she could do something for him; but she came to the conclusion that his heart would be able to heal over time.

"I better get going. Take care Natsu." She bowed.

"You're not going to stay with Fairy Tail?" Natsu asked.

"I...I couldn't. I'd feel like I was intruding. Besides I have something I have to do..." She replied, thinking of finding Lucy and solving the mystery of her existence.

"Oh...take this then." He held out the blue ribbon Lucy had given her. "Sorry for accusing you before; I wasn't in the right state of mind."

"Don't worry about it." She took the ribbon from him.

"Alright, see you around..."

"Yeah, see you..." She said turning her back on Natsu; quite sure she would never see him again.

* * *

**So Lana's setting off to find Lucy? What problems will she face in her journey? What about the killings in Seven; are they a lie or are they real?**

**Well, I hoped you enjoyed this chapter. It made me feel sad as I typed it but there should be more happy stuff in a few chapters. And Lana won't be travelling for very long, so don't worry about me boring you with tales about Lana. There should be something interesting happening by the next chapter.**

**I'm using Lana as a name since I feel like it and a few people have sent a PM saying Lana. Sorry if you really wanted a different name.**

**Keep on giving me constructive criticism or complements. (Preferably the latter; just kidding :D Write what you want) And to Archangle-Angelo, thanks I wouldn't of spotted that unless you told me.  
**

**Yonde kurete Arigatō…**

**Sayōnara!**


	5. Beginning

**Just as Lucy was at her happiest she finds herself in a terrible predicament, which will not only put her in danger but Fairy Tail too. She decides that in order to protect her Nakama she must fake her death. But will Lucy be able to forget her family so easily? And with Natsu determined not to believe Lucy is dead, will Fairy Tail be able move on?**

**Tanoshinde kudasai! – Please Enjoy!**

* * *

**We are One : Beginning****  
**

"Master. I wish to travel to the Kingdom of Seven." Erza stated, "I'm here for your permission."

Once she had returned to Fairy Tail from Lucy's funeral, Erza had headed straight for the Master's office. She intended to go to Seven, but being the rule abiding person she was, decided to get permission first. And if that didn't work she would treat this situation as an exception and leave for Seven regardless.

The Master rubbed his temples wearily and got up from his chair. "Child, I understand how you feel but you must not be rash. We have hardly any clues as to the circumstances in that country at the moment; all we know is that there are some murderous people on the loose who hate wizards. And I'll be damned if I let another of child of mine die!" He looked harshly at Erza, which he then regretted doing as he saw a steady stream of tears running down her face.

Erza hardly ever cried. She had a reputation of the strongest female wizard in Fairy Tail. Titania, the Fairy Queen. And she was also well known for vigorously ensuring rules are obeyed and the peace is kept, usually using a large amount of force. Then there was her odd passion for strawberry cheese cake. With all these strong characteristics people often overlooked the fact that on the inside her emotions were as fragile as anyone else's. She just did a better job of hiding them.

"Erza..." The Master uttered, closing his eyes tight shut and bowed his head, "Please, just give this up."

"I'm determined to go to Seven." Erza began resolutely, her voice steely, "I know Lucy wouldn't like me trying to get revenge...and I know you don't want me to get hurt. But I can't just forget about all of this like it never happened! At least let me go there just to spy for now. This could be a threat to every member of our guild. We don't know what the fanatic's plans are. For all we know they could have already breached the borders of Fiore! All of Seven could be under siege! It's all possible; you know how the government always keeps these sorts of things quiet. So you can't expect me to sit here waiting for anymore innocent people to be killed! Please, just let me do something."

The Master sighed, "I'll think about it."

...

The streets of Magnolia were close to empty that night. Few people would venture out in the snow at this late hour. But one of those few was Lana.

The brunette trudged through the snow, now unaware of the cold, as she thought about Fairy Tail. That guild went through so much pain because of the lie she told them. She was unsure if she did the right thing. Of course, it was much too late now, but she couldn't help wondering if it was a mistake to trust a message in a book. It could have been a cruel joke or even something more sinister...

"Argh!" Lana clutched at her head and stomped her feet in frustration. Thinking about what she had done wouldn't do her any good now. These pestering thoughts were stopping her from getting anywhere. Lana rid her mind of any matter to do with Lucy or her guild mates and carried on down the road under the soft glow of the streetlamps.

Her plan was to collect supplies then head out of Magnolia. She couldn't bear to be in this town any longer; not with the chance of running into a Fairy again. So she quickly visited a few different shops and purchased a variety of items using the money Lucy had given her. She had bought food first; an odd array of food at that. At the grocer's she had bargained for strawberry jam, instant ramen, chocolate cake and apples. She had picked up the items with the most dynamic labels since she didn't know what anything tasted like.

Lana also went to the bookstore, where she chose novels, survival guilds, maps and non-fiction books. She wanted to learn everything she could about this world; who knows what she might face in the future. In addition to this, she bought plenty of warm garments to help cope with the cold. She ended up waddling out of the clothing store bundled up in many layers of scarves and coats. Her money was depleting fast. Fortunately she still had enough left for a train ticket, which was her final purchase that day.

"One ticket to Seven please." Lana told the man inside booth.

"Sorry Miss, the train only goes as far as Clover Town tonight." The man apologised to her.

"Oh... Well, one ticket to Clover Town then." If Lana couldn't travel all the way to Seven by train then she would walk the rest of the way. It's not like she was in a hurry (apart from her rush to leave Magnolia). Indeed she was rather looking forward to making a few stops before her true destination.

"Righty then, here's your ticket Miss. You're mighty lucky to get it too. Any later here and you would have missed the train." The man said jovially, handing the slip of paper over to the girl, "Well your here now and that's all that matters. Make sure you have a safe trip."

"Thanks Mister; I will!" Lana called over her shoulder whilst running to the closest train carriage.

...

The guild was rather quiet. Much too quiet. Fairy Tail had rarely seen a day when their guild hall was so empty or even the few people in the room barley spoke so little. Wakaba and Macao sat in the corner of the room conversing quietly and dirking away their sorrows, whilst contrasting with them and her usual habits, Cana wasn't drinking at all. Almost miraculously the guild's regular drunkard remained sober for the whole day. Gray lay on a bench staring blankly at the ceiling and Mira stood behind the bar serving the Scarlet haired wizard who looked rather uneasy. Mira had noticed Erza had been this way since she had left the Master's office earlier.

"Erza." The takeover mage had placed a strawberry cheesecake in front of Erza but she seemed to have not realised. This was odd. Erza would normally dig into her favourite food straight away, however she was too busy looking at something to notice. Mira followed her gaze and saw that she was looking intently at the door to the Master's office.

"Erza." Mira tapped her arm this time to alert the equip mage to her presence. Erza started in response and looked around anxiously. Once she saw it was only Mira she let out a sigh.

"Er... Thank you." Erza started to eat her cake with unusual apathy, but still appeared somewhat on edge.

Mira continued to observe her formal rival's behaviour and tried to fathom what on Earth could be wrong. She had seen Erza mourning over the past few days, in which she had also appeared slightly different, but now her mannerism had changed completely in the last hour or so; Mira had no idea about the proposition she had made to the Master and what she planned to do if he were to reject her idea. The thought of disobeying an order from someone she respected a great deal caused Erza to feel pretty anxious; and she was ashamed to say she felt slightly exited as well.

As she fanaticized about her plans of great escape and prodded her cake distractedly, the guild doors slammed open. The fire dragon slayer crossed the threshold and marched over to the bar without even closing the doors, letting a cold draft run through the building.

"Natsu, the cold might not affect you but it does for others!" Wakaba complained, his word slurred due to the level of his intoxication.

"Hey, Mira." Natsu addressed the wizard behind the bar counter, "Could you give this to the Master? I'll be gone for a little while but this will explain everything. Make sure he gets it!" He finished, running out of the guild as quickly as he had come and Happy who had appeared from the rafters, followed after him.

"Go get'em Natsu!" Cana muttered under her breath before grabbing a bottle of rum and downing it in one.

"W-Wait, Natsu!" Mira called but his figure had already disappeared into the night. "Oh, no!" She muttered before running to the Master's office, perfectly aware of what Natsu was scheming. So was Erza, who was now wondering if she should put her plan into action a little earlier than intended.

And then there was Gray, who no longer looked lifeless corpse and had sat up, staring longingly at the outside world to where Natsu had gone. He licked his lips in consideration and subsequently scribbled a note addressed to the Master, left it on the bar top and left.

Now was Erza's chance to follow. Should she stay put or go for it? Deciding on the latter, Erza also wrote a message but before she could exit through the guild doors a booming voice prevented her from doing do, "Erza Scarlet! Where do you think you're going?"

She slowly turned to face the little old man who stood behind her and lowered her head in shame. "I'm sorry, Master... I-I-"

"You can't leave without this." He tossed what shared the appearance of a small crystal ball to her. "Make sure you keep in contact with me, stay safe and remember; you are only there to gather information for now."

"Master." Tears had begun to gather in Erza's eyes again.

"Now be off with you Child; before I change my mind or worse those three fools who just left do something stupid."

Crying tears of gratitude, Erza bowed then left swiftly, in an attempt to catch up with Gray, Natsu and Happy.

"Will they really be alright, Master?" Mira asked in concern.

The Master had already begun trudging back up the stairs to his office when he replied, "I do hope so; I really do..."

...

"Two tickets to seven." Natsu, with Happy perched on his shoulder, stood on the train platform in front of the man inside the ticket booth.

The middle-aged man smiled apologetically. "Sorry son, the last train left a little while ago. It wasn't even travelling to Seven either; its last stop was clover town."

Natsu sighed. "It's not like I wanted to get the train anyway." He just wanted to get there quickly.

"Hey, there isn't a festival or something going on in Seven at the moment is there? I had another youngster want to go there earlier. She ended up getting on the train to Clover though." The ticket attendant inquired.

"No, nothing like that..." Natsu responded inattentively, his mind on other matters.

"Natsu...What are we going to do now?" Happy asked his partner.

"That's what I'm thinking about."

"Stop; You two!" A red headed demon was hurtling down the platform straight to them, dragging a half-conscious Gray in her wake. Natsu and Happy reeled back in horror and attempted to make a run for it, however both their skulls were grabbed and bashed together, causing them to stop and cry out in pain.

Rubbing his head gingerly, Natsu shouted, "Hey! What the hell was that for?!"

"For trying to go to Seven without the Master's permission." Erza answered indifferently, dumping Gray (who was now fully awake) next to the two offenders.

"Oi, Oi... Isn't that what you were planning to do too?" Gray said, but his comment went 'unnoticed' by Erza.

"Excuse me miss... Erm... Is everything alright over their?" The ticket sales man called timidly from the booth.

"Yes. We're perfectly fine." Erza told him, "Thank you for your concern." She now turned back to Happy, Gray and Natsu. "The Master has given consent for you all to be taken to Seven under my supervision. We will be carrying out a spying operation and are to alert the Master to anything we may discover in our travels through this lacrima ball." She showed the communication devise to the wizards sitting before her.

"No way!" Natsu rejected the offer straight away, "I'm not going to Seven just to spy! I want to get back at the bastards who dared kill Lucy! The dragon slayer began to crack his knuckles.

"I hate to agree with Flame Brain but I'm planning on doing exactly the same thing. They won't see the light of day ever again once I'm done with them." Gray growled.

"And what about you Happy?!" Erza asked the Exceed, staring threateningly.

"I-It's, erm...W-Well..." He stammered trying to think of a suitable lie or maybe he could say Natsu forced him to come. Under the increasing pressure of the glare Titania gave him, his eyes started to water and he told her exactly what he thought, "Erza, I don't like the way Lucy died... We weren't there for her. She died alone and wasn't even given a chance to fight. That's why we want to avenge her; don't you feel the same way?"

"Of course I care! How could you think I didn't? I-I... When we find whoever killed Lucy I doubt I'll be able to hold myself back, let alone you three. So I'll just say this, when we find them I'll let you fight; I won't stop you. But let's just spy for now; we don't even know who they are. We'll need to find out somehow."

The cat, the ice mage and dragon slayer all exchanged glances, as if having a silent conversation and then Natsu spoke, "As long as you don't hold me back when it comes down, I agree to go to Seven under your supervision." Gray and Happy nodded in concord.

"All right then, it's settled. Meet me at the rent-a-carriage store with everything you'll need and then we'll set off." Erza said.

"I'm not taking a carriage; we're walking." Natsu declared stubbornly.

A few large bruises later Natsu found himself standing outside their designated meeting spot, a travelling pack hung off his back, waiting for his peer's to arrive so they could rent a carriage to take them to Seven.

...

Lana stared out of the widow of her compartment watching the beautiful scenery flitter by and the ever distancing Magnolia retreating from her sight. Once she saw the lights of the town, home to Fairy Tail, disappear completely she leant back in her cushioned seat and let out a tired sigh. It had been a long and troublesome few days. She admitted that. Lana was so relieved that she would no longer have to lie to Fairy Tail; it was like a breath of fresh air. With any luck she would never run into a Fairy again; that part of her life was over and she would start anew. Vowing never to return to Magnolia again, the brunette had decided to focus on finding Lucy and hoped to learn something about herself along the way.

With the weight of guilt finally off her chest, she withdrew a book called _How to handle your bundle of joy_ from a large rucksack she had recently bought to hold all of her belongings. She had began to read it and thought at first about how cute the babies looked. However she soon came to the conclusion that the 'bundles of joy' were more like bundles of terror. They were noisy, pooping, devouring monsters. She was now worried for her serenity in the future. This baby would disrupt her life by 100% and she would be stuck with it for a very long time. According to this book, they required plenty of attention and would have her funds drying up just like an oasis in a desert.

And then the book started getting very technical and scientific, explaining the exact way a baby is conceived down to the very last detail, with diagrams too. "Babies are made when a man and a woman have very strong feeling for each other and that's when they decide..." Lana read out loud, her cheeks reddening. She gently set the book down beside her and tried to calm herself.

"This is nothing to be embarrassed about. Women are meant to get pregnant; it's all natural. It's just as natural and casual as asking someone about tomorrow's weather." Her endeavour to compose herself was getting her nowhere. The more she talked to herself, the more flustered she got. And adding to her state Lana finally had the epiphany that "If I'm pregnant that must mean I-I..."

The girl had finally realised she had made love. That information was thrilling and disappointing all at the same time. Really it had been something she had wanted to try under the notion that it would be her first time. Not that she had had this ambition for long; she only actually just found out that there was such a thing several minutes ago. But still...

And as she was pregnant that means there was a father. Who was he? Was he still alive? Her mind was buzzing with questions and she thought desperately to try and answer them all, but the more she searched for answers the further away they would seem. Her mind would go blank. It was frustrating.

...

_Dead. _Levy sat in the guild's library staring at that word. The dictionary definition had been _Dead, no longer alive, having passed from the living state to being no longer alive. _This was the word she had been told now defined Lucy. _Dead._

How could this word describe Lucy? Levy knew her as the bubbly, caring blonde whose dream had always been to join a guild just like Fairy Tail. She had been the script mage's best friend. If Levy was to find a word to describe Lucy she would never have chosen _dead_.

Levy could not accept this. She never accepted anything without the absolute, definite truth. Where was the proof Lucy died? How could she trust Lana? She had realised only recently that she could not believe Lucy was dead without any evidence. What Lana had said now meant nothing. The ribbon Lana had wore meant nothing. Neither the keys. Lucy would not be dead until Levy deemed her so.

And as for now, the blue haired girl had begun to think of the account of Lucy's supposed death. Some things were too suspicious too ignore:

hadn't Lucy said anything about Lana before? Lucy had died, how did she give Lana her ribbon and keys? didn't Lana try to save her if they were 'best friends' from childhood?

Now these could mean nothing; Levy could just have been reading into this too much. But she had a nagging feeling that there was more to Lana than it seemed and if there was, she was determined to find it out.

* * *

**This may be a record time of updating for me. I managed to get this done in a week and a bit. Whooo!**

**Well, I hoped you enjoyed this chapter, it's been a bit more cheery compared to some of the other chapters and I hope you can she how this chapter suggests the starting point for journeys and solving mysteries.**

**And did I say last chapter something interesting would happen... I think I did... Sorry I meant the next chapter and possibly after that depending on who I follow the most for that chapter.**

**Yonde kurete Arigatō…**

**Sayōnara!**


	6. Visions

**Just as Lucy was at her happiest she finds herself in a terrible predicament, which will not only put her in danger but Fairy Tail too. She decides that in order to protect her Nakama she must fake her death. But will Lucy be able to forget her family so easily? And with Natsu determined not to believe Lucy is dead, will Fairy Tail be able move on?**

**Tanoshinde kudasai!**

* * *

**We are One : Visions**

The sound of crashing and screaming assaulted Lana's ears. The heat was sweltering and flames licked at her sides as she ran through a narrow corridor, following what she discerned as a purple bobbing blob by means of her blurred vision. Not only was her sight malfunctioning; smoke had begun to enter her lungs and forced her to stop and choke on the polluted air she breathed. The amaranthine splodge had stopped moving too. Lana looked to it and her eyes soon focused to see a small girl, around the age of twelve, standing before her. Her hair was indeed a rich plum colour and her eyes were deadpan, no emotions registered upon her face despite what appeared to be an especially dangerous situation.

"Miko Onee-sama." The young girl spoke impassively, "You must not stop here. There are high levels of toxins in the air that will harm your body and I predict sojourning now decreases your chances of escape by 48%."

Although her body was screaming out in protest Lana nodded and let the child lead her further down the wooden halls. As they advanced the quieter the panicked screeching grew and the flames began to recede, however there was always the sound of heavy footfall close on their tail. Lana could only assume that this threat was even more perilous than the flames which had left burns around her ankles and was the reason to why the expressionless person before her was hurrying to evade it.

But alas, Lana was still finding it hard to breathe and hindered their speed, resulting in their journey being longer than intended. In the time they had taken to reach a small hatch at the dead end of the corridor the foe could be heard drawing near from just around the corner.

The youngster's eyes scanned over Lana's body, lingering over her abdomen and flashing golden for a moment. She then turned to face the approaching enemy, muttering. "The second one must remain a secret."

"Ah... Look what I've found here boys." A tall brutish-looking man, with a pale blonde hair covered in soot, had just rounded the corner. Soon after him others came; each with the same look of triumph on their faces.

"If it isn't the beautiful shrine maiden," The flaxen haired man, who appeared to be the ringleader, performed a mock bow, "I'm delighted to finally meet you."

Lana's escort frowned and her dull eyes narrowed. It was the first time she had seen the girl with displaying any kind of emotion. The leader saw her disapproving expression and smirked, "And of course it's a pleasure to meet you again, my dear Athanasia. It's good to see the loyal 'contraption' is back on the job after such a long time."

The girl's (whose name Lana had learnt to be Athanasia) scowl deepened. She poised herself for attack and stated, "Targets locked. Chance of successfully incapacitating all opponents, 21%. Current damage, 3%."

Athanasia then indicated the small door to her right, "Onee-sama, please escape through there. I will buy you some time while you go. Please hurry."

Lana shook her head vigorously. She couldn't just leave a little girl all on her own against these hefty men. Athanasia would be killed in less than a minute. Lana wouldn't let that happen.

"It is my continuous mission to protect you, and for me to fulfil my duty you must leave now." Athanasia told her.

The blonde man who had been watching them with a rather bemused look up until then chuckled lightly, "Why not just let her stay, our shrine maiden obviously doesn't want to leave just yet."

"Suggestion denied." The little girl swung open the door and shoved Lana through it. "Stay safe, Onee-sama." That was last thing she heard before the hatch was shut and she was sealed in darkness.

...

A carriage trundled down a rugged mountain path, occasionally jarring over rocks and boulders on the road. This did little to help the already pathetic state a certain dragon slayer was in. Natsu was dangling from the window, his face a sickly green colour. He was unfortunate enough to be troubled by motion sickness but Gray had decided he was bored enough to start poking him for the fun of watching the amusing results.

Just as Gray attempted to poke his cheek for the tenth time Natsu managed to bat his rival's hand away. "Stop it, snow cone... Wh...What's your problem?"

"I just don't like being stuck in the same place constantly." Gray tapped his foot impatiently and groused, "I just want to get to Seven already!"

"You're not the only one... I don't like having to see your ugly face constantly." Natsu managed to grumble, still well enough to be capable of thinking of a proper comeback.

"What was that flame brain?" Gray growled, raising a fist. Natsu was about to reply but instead rewarded Gray with a face full of vomit. Gray sat there for a few moments in silent disbelief and then finally realised what just happened to him. With Natsu's stomach contents dripping from his hair, he fumed. "You did that on purpose, you bastard!"

Natsu simply shrugged and turned back to look out of the window. He blocked out Gray's unrelenting curses as he let his mind go blank. He didn't want to think about anything at the moment.

Erza sat outside on the front of the carriage, directing their horse through the maze of boulders and trees. She sighed as she heard Gray's angry rant but didn't make any attempt to stop him. Being honest with herself, she knew she wasn't up to it at the moment. Her usual passion for breaking up fights seemed to have diminished somewhat.

She thought that maybe this would be something she might get back when she killed the bastards who took Lucy away from them. She quickly brushed that thought away. She had learnt a long time ago that those who seek revenge often regret the effort, but still there was an image lurking at the back of her mind of her swords dripping in blood and herself hovering over her opponent with a look of pure glee on her face. No matter how she tried to defeat it this vision would keep coming back to her. She would just have to accept that a small part of her had turned to darkness the moment she found out Lucy had died.

...

The train lurched and Lana's eyes snapped open. The brunette awoke in a cold sweat and was breathing heavily. She looked around frantically for any sign of Athanasia or their adversary but to her relief all she saw was the inside of a train compartment and a bustling train station outside her window. There was no little girl trying to save her life from strange men who had called her a shrine maiden. It had only been a dream. It had been so vivid Lana had thought it was real. She was glad to know it hadn't been real and only something fabricated by her imagination.

"Excuse me Miss, but I'm afraid you'll have to get off the train here. This is the last stop." A train conductor alerted her, poking her head though the door to the compartment.

"We're at Clover Town already?" Lana asked, peering out of the window and seeing there was no longer any snow on the ground and it was now day rather than night.

"Yes, the train just stopped."

"Thank you, I'll get off then." The brunette said whilst passing the conductor. "Oh, by the way, do you know if this town has any inns or hotels?" She added, when she remembered she would need to stay somewhere while she earns money.

"There's defiantly an inn near the town square, other than that I'm not sure... I'm sorry; I don't know this town very well."

"Don't worry, you've been a big help." Lana smiled to the lady before exiting the train.

Lana had managed to find her way to the Town square and sure enough there was an inn just down one of the side roads. However, when Lana had entered the very nice looking inn she was turned away after enquiring about a room for the night. It seemed her money had been depleted too much in Magnolia, resulting on her shortage of cash now, which had left her unable to pay for a room at the inn.

Exiting through the varnished doors of the public house, Lana sighed. She slid her hands into the pockets of her skinny jeans and began to walk down the boulevard, not really caring about the direction she went in. She didn't even take the time to admire her pleasant surroundings of the tree lined streets and quaint little stores. She had a feeling that if she just kept on walking she would stumble across something beneficial.

After strolling down several streets Lana finally came to a halt as a delicious smell carried on the breeze found its way to her, causing her to stop and inhale the heavenly sent. Orange and chocolate. Lana was sure she could smell the vaguely familiar aroma of the sweet citrus fruit and bitter dark chocolate. The smell drew Lana in and she found herself following it until she reached an old-fashioned but charming little shop. The contents behind its front window made the brunette's mouth water. It was full of cakes and other delicious treats she couldn't put a name to.

Deciding that she badly wanted one of these appetizing cakes, Lana entered the store. A bell tinkled as the door swung open and she was greeted by a smiling old lady, but she also looked quite fretful too. "Hello there dear. Is there anything I can get you?"

Lana pulled out the change she had left from her pocket and placed it on the counter. "Whatever I can buy with this I suppose."

"You don't mind what you get?"

"Not really, but I did smell orange and chocolate coming from here earlier. If there's something with that in it I'll take that please."

"Of course; coming right up." The old lady left the counter and began picking up an assortment of treats. Whilst the woman was busy, Lana took the time to take a good look around the shop. It appeared that it wasn't just used to sell a few goods. There were tables and chairs set out around the room and each decorated with laced table cloths and vases of flowers. Everything had been set out for many customers but there was not a single person there, excluding herself and the elderly lady.

The shop keeper returned to the till holding a paper bag. "Here you go dear. That's all the cakes you can buy with the money you gave me, plus something extra."

"Wow, thanks." Lana grinned, opening the bag to take a look at the excellent snack she would be having in a minute. "Could I sit and eat at one of these tables or are you only selling for take away orders today."

"Ah, well... No; I'm trying to run the place as usual. Feel free to take a seat." The lady seemed even more stressed now.

"I don't mean to pry..." Lana said awkwardly, sitting at the table closet to the counter, "But what do you mean your 'trying' to run as usual?"

She looked down to the floor, leaving Lana's questions unanswered.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to!" The pregnant girl exclaimed quickly. "I just thought you seemed a bit tense and might want to talk about it... but I understand if it's a personal matter."

"Oh no. It's not that, my dear. I just didn't want to unload all of my problems on a costumer. I don't want to bore you."

"I really don't mind. I'd like to listen." Lana smiled kindly.

The lady wavered for a moment before replying slowly, "Alright... If you really don't mind I suppose I'll make some tea for us then. We can drink while we talk."

A few minutes later and she returned with a tray with tea pot and cups along with some sugar coated biscuits. After pouring Lana and herself some of the hot beverage she begun, "I suppose I better start with the formalities first. My name is Sophia but feel free to call me Sia, that's what my former customers used to call me..."

"Sorry; 'former customers' did you say?" Lana repeated, not quite sure what the old lady meant.

"Well, I suppose that's part of what I'm going to tell you now... By the way, what's your name, my dear?" She enquired.

"Oh." Lana realised she had forgotten to mention her name. "Lana. I'm Lana."

"Well then...Lana," She continued, "This shop used to be full of customers. Many men would flock here, not because of the cakes. No... It's because they all took a fancy to my daughter. My daughter is very beautiful. She inherited my good looks, which of course ran off along with my youth, and she would attract much attention from it. So as she had always helped me out here, there would be many a man follower her to this place, meaning they would buy my goods. I wasn't too happy they were here for my daughter and not the cakes but business is business and many of my old clients moved or had passed away. I needed this clientele, even if most of them were perverts. At first I was a bit worried about my Samantha being surrounded by so many lewd men but she never showed any interest in them so I thought everything would be fine. But then one day..." A sour expression appeared on Sia's face.

"'One day' what?" Lana asked, who had been listening intently to Sia's story till then.

"One day I found a note in the kitchen saying that she had found her true love and had eloped with him. She told me that she instantly fell head over heels for him. I also discovered from reading the message that the man she had left with was a rich Lord who had only been visiting our town for a few days." She paused a moment to take a large swig of tea, sighing as she placed the cup back on its saucer slightly more forcibly than she had intended.

"As much as I want to believe Samantha fell for a Nobel who loves her in return, somehow I cannot. Two days is much too short a time and the man was a good 20 years older than her, nearing my age. I have tried to have faith in her but I'm afraid I know my daughter all too well. She has always been rather materialistic, ever since she was a small girl. But how could I know the little 9 year old trotting around in my high heels wearing a tiara, would one day grow up to be so acquisitive? I thought I had raised her with my morals. She's being so very manipulative! That poor man is probably under some kind of delusion that my daughter really fell for him! I don't know what to feel about her at the moment..."

Lana saw the scow Sia wore and asked warily, careful not to upset her, "But you still love your daughter?"

"Of course, of course." Sophia waved off her comment without hesitation, "Believe me deary; once you have children you never stop loving them no matter what." She smiled warmly at Lana, which she returned but with her eyes brimming with curiosity. Her books had talked about caring for children but not the undeniable love you were supposedly meant to feel for them. Now she was provided an opportunity wear she could learn something new, and who better to learn it from than someone who had experienced it all.

"And you will love them as soon as they are born?"

"That much is pretty much guaranteed." The lady nodded in rectification at Lana's query. "But why on earth are you asking this? Or are you just one filled with inquisitiveness?"

"Well... I'm pregnant you see; I'm far from the due date however according to the doctor I spoke to. I still have a lot to learn before then." Lana answered, a warm feeling growing within her. It was strange and to why announcing her pregnancy could have made her feel so she did not know.

"My dear!" The old woman cried in glee and grasped her junior's hands. "That is wonderful. Congratulations! I'm sure you'll be a wonderful mother."

"Thank you..." Lana mumbled as colour rose to her cheeks. A shy smile touched her lips as she said, "But I haven't got a clue to being a parent. I've read books; other than that I'm a complete novice."

"All those expecting are, my dear!" Sia chuckled, wholly enjoying herself. "The best way to learn is through experience, I say. And you will get plenty of it. It will be draining at first, but the rewards are wondrous."

"The giving birth part doesn't sound very wondrous though..." Lana cringed as she thought back to the description of the pain and mess a pregnancy would cause.

"Well no... That bit isn't pleasant, but as I said earlier 'the rewards are wondrous'. Just make sure you're back home for the birth with the father by your side and it will all be fine."

Home. Lana had no home. She may as well be a spectre passing through this world. She had yet to make something of herself and become someone meaningful. All she had to live from was her purpose which she had fulfilled. The only thing that gave her worth now was her desire to find Lucy, who could maybe shed some light onto her predicament. Soon she would be a mother with no clue to how she came to be or if she had a life before she had awoken alone on that hill top. Could it be possible she had lived happily with a man who she called husband? Had she already had children? Lana didn't know and didn't dwell on these thoughts. All she wanted now was the sense of her significance. How important was she to this world?

"Say if I had no home or partner to be with...what then?"

"You're talking about yourself... You mean you have no one and nowhere to turn to?" Sia posed tenderly as Lana downcast her eyes to the floor.

"Yes." She replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "I have no family, friends or home. And if I did I wouldn't remember them. I don't know anything about myself and only chunks of the world around me. Everything feels new but as I learn it feels familiar." Lana's imploring blue eyes were now directed at the aged woman sitting before her.

"Who am I?"

Sia appraised the girl with her finger tracing the rim of her tea cup. Her laugh lines became more prominent as her mouth stretched into a jocular grin. She gave an answer Lana had found annoyingly blunt, chortling all the while. "I haven't the slightest idea."

Lana scowled and began having thoughts of leaving the woman right there and then. Sia had opened up to her so Lana had simply expressed her feelings in return, not just as a social convention but because she had trusted the shop keeper. To disclose to someone she barely knew, but having enough conviction in her judge of character to deem her respectable, and then to have her innermost feeling thrown back at her face didn't do wonders for her ability of having faith in acquaintances. It was clear Sia took enjoyment in her confusion and Lana wasn't going to stand for it.

"Would you like me to tell you something else personal about myself? Perhaps you would enjoy hearing about how it feels to lie to those in anguish." The girl's tone was oozing sarcasm and a hint of slow boiling anger. "Or maybe see many people believe their loved one is dead without knowing the truth. I don't understand what's funny about my circumstances but couldn't you at least show a little bit of consideration towards me."

If possible Sia's smile grew wider as did Lana's felling of outrage. Just before the brown haired girl could let forth another outburst of fury she was silenced by older woman's cherry voice. "My dear, you have misunderstood me. I am laughing at fate. It can be awfully cruel but also rather ingenious, don't you think?"

Lana's anger subsided and was replaced with mild interest. "How so?"

"To cut it shortly, fate has brought you here, which is a blessing for the both of us I should think. With all that you have been through already in your short existence this really is a good opportunity."

The brunette was contemplating whether the woman was ever so slightly barmy. She certainly hadn't seemed so earlier although she just might have not picked up on it. "I don't understand what you're talking about Sia but I can be sure you hardly know anything about me. I've told you a minimal amount of information after all." She finished her tea and nodded her head in thanks as she said, "I'm sorry to have wasted your time, but I really must be going now."

Sia suddenly grabbed her wrist before she could leave and exclaimed in an attempt to catch her interest, "I know about Fairy Tail."

"How do you know about that?!" Lana said sharply.

"I have a gift." Sia once again gave her a vague reply.

She ground her teeth in frustration and tried (as calmly as she could) to ask the woman a question. "What do you mean by that?"

Sia wrung her hands nervously, all humour gone. "Don't tell... Nobody can know."

"What can nobody know Sia?" Lana enquired with more patience as the old woman appeared very distressed now. It was not at all like she was before. Her demeanour seemed wilder as her pupils would dart from side to side and she tried to calm her panicked heart.

"I can see into the mind's eye... I can detect thoughts lurking in the foreground of a mind. I only need eye contact and I will know anything that they brood over or nags at them."

"That sounds like you have magic to me Sia." Lana sighed, a little exasperated with the old lady and now sure she was completely batty. Who could exist in this day and age and still call magic a gift? Magic was now fully integrated into modern society. No one was ashamed if they had the ability to use it, in fact they were regarded in high esteem. Things like witch hunts were long gone. She also felt uncomfortable about Sia poking about in her head but what could she do about it?

The shop keeper's eyes grew wide and she hastily covered Lana's mouth with one hand and used the other to place a bony finger over her lips. "Hush, deary. We don't know who could be listening in. Wizards must be careful these days, we must not share are secrets so candidly."

Lana pulled Sia's hand away, allowing herself to speak. "There isn't anyone else in this building."

"You're wrong. I can feel a presence." Sia disagreed.

"You mean...like a ghost." The pregnant girl asked sceptically.

"Perhaps. Perhaps not."

Lana took a glance around the room, upon seeing nothing she looked back to Sia with an eyebrow raised, "And if there were a presence why should it care if you had magic?"

"Magic is not celebrated by all; some loath its existence enough to commit a sin. I was told the same thing a few days ago by a customer. I was very surprised to see someone with the skill of a soothsayer. I thought all prophets had died out."

This was another occurrence that linked in with the lie Lana was made to tell. It sounded like this seer Sia talked of could know something about it. She thought it might be wise to pay this person a visit in her travels. "Who are they? Could you tell me where they are now?"

"I'm afraid not. She left no name or address."

"Do you remember what she looks like?"

"She was a young woman with a pretty face and blonde hair." Sia recalled, tapping her chin. "I was rather surprised by her appearance actually. To think a girl like that was a prophet ..."

She continued to talk but Lana had stopped listening as soon as she had heard the description of the seer. All the facts were beginning to add up in Lana's mind and she came to the final conclusion that this girl must have been Lucy. She even began to think that Lucy may have intended her to come here and meet Sia. Maybe she was leading her somewhere. She might finally be able to find some sense of self in this unknown world.

Lana jumped from her seat with a huge grin on her face; the drive to find Lucy giving her new energy. "Thank you Sia. I'll come back here and buy lots and lots of cakes from you. But I really have to go now. Thanks again!"

She ran out of the shop with a spring in her step. But Sia was not far behind her. The old lady had sprung from her chair, with surprising agility, and hobbled after the girl. "M-My dear!" She panted, "You can't leave yet!"

"I'm sorry Sia, but I really have to go." Lana slowed to offer the woman an apologetic grin before picking up her pace again to continue bounding down the street.

Sia was now running at a fast jog just to keep up with Lana. "But the soothsayer said you needed to stay at my shop for a little while before you left." This made Lana stop.

"I was going to say this earlier but got distracted. The girl told me that someone with no memories of their former self would be in need of money and I would be in need of an employee. I didn't believe her at the time but now I do. I just know she was talking about you. So would you like to work at my shop Lana?"

"Are you sure that's what she said?"

"I'm positive." Sia attested.

Lana sighed in frustration before begrudgingly accepting the job offer. "Fine. I suppose I do need the money...and if it was Lucy who said so..."

"So is that a 'yes'?"

Lana nodded. "Yeah, I'll work for you but not for long."

The elderly shop owner beamed at her new employee and began to lead her back to the store as she said, "Don't worry my dear, I'm sure fate will have you on your way soon enough."

* * *

**Hey guys, I'm not dead! Isn't that great news... No, I'm still behind my laptop writing and reading.**

**It's been quite a while since I updated anything. Sorry about that. This chapter used to be double what it is now which is huge anyway, but I decided to split it as it was getting so long and I thought you would want something to read even if its not all that interesting yet.**

**Lucy id defiantly going to be in the next chapter! I know I keep saying that but this time I'm sure. There's no over way around it.**

**Please tell me if you would prefer shorter chapters with less waiting time or long chapters and having to wait longer.**

**Yonde kurete Arigatō…**

**Sayōnara!**


	7. Fugitive

**Just as Lucy was at her happiest she finds herself in a terrible predicament, which will not only put her in danger but Fairy Tail too. She decides that in order to protect her Nakama she must fake her death. But will Lucy be able to forget her family so easily? And with Natsu determined not to believe Lucy is dead, will Fairy Tail be able move on?**

**Tanoshinde kudasai!**

**We are One : Fugitive**

* * *

Sia had Lana, to her displeasure, in rather revealing attire handing out leaflets within the hour. And of course after seeing a beautiful brunette showing off a sensational amount of milky thighs the men flocked into the cake store hoping to catch another glimpse at its new worker.

Luckily for Lana, she found herself immune to any lewd comments thrown in her direction or the shameless eyes drifting to her cleavage as she wiped down tables. She often thought of how her first impression of Sia had been utterly wide of the mark. Jubilant she may be but she held no respect for discretion in flaunting the female body. Fortunately she never graced them with the sight of her own wrinkly-self in a skimpy outfit; however she definitely had no problem with Lana wearing them. The brunette often speculated whether the old woman had forced her daughter in to these clothes as well. No wonder she had left.

Although she found this type of work completely immoral, she treated these difficulties as a small nuisance, comparable to a fly which would be simply batted away in such situations. The perks to the job were very satisfactory after a tiring day's work and were frequently the source of Lana's enthusiasm. A few cakes and a comfy bed for the night would go a long way...

Lana had had a few spurts of morning sickness before opening shop. Sia would always hold back her hair and feed her words of comfort until the vomiting stopped. At these moments the pregnant girl found Sia most endearing, until she pulled another erotic outfit over her head.

The days continued like this until three weeks had passed. Lana had fully settled into her job and was now a professional at cleaning and serving. She had even dabbled in the art of baking under Sia's guidance, which her skill in had at first been at a very poor standard. Lana did not know the first thing about different food combinations and recipes (this much was evident from the utterly random food she had bought in Magnolia, although the strawberry jam and apples had provided useful for the tarts she had made).

It was a late Friday afternoon when Lana was on her last shift for the day. She was sad (in an unexplainably strange way) that it was almost time to close up shop. Fridays equalled sexy secretary day and although she would never admit it out loud she rather liked this particular outfit. She would take great enjoyment in watching the amusing sight of men drooling at her feet as she would adjust her fake horn-rimmed glasses and speak in a low if not husky voice.

She was in the kitchen making an attempt to clean the mountain of dirty dishes that resided in the sink when she heard the shop's doorbell tinkle. She sighed and placed the piece of china down next to its peers which Lana was making no headway with. She neatened her unofficial uniform before sauntering into the front of the store, making her way over to the table of the new customer. She draped herself across the surface before saying her routine greeting made compulsory by Sia, in the most alluring tone she could muster. "Hey big boy... See anything you fancy?"

The customer put their menu down, revealing their face. "Yes actually, I see there's a strawberry and apple tart special today. Could I perhaps have some of those?"

Lana squeaked in shock and embarrassment, straitening up immediately. Lana cursed at herself for assuming every client would be a perverted man. Those were defiantly not male characteristics she saw, but maybe this girl was into that sort of stuff..."Y-You're a girl! I mean of course you're a girl. Who wouldn't notice...?" Lana trailed off as she took in more of this woman's features. There was the long red hair, resilient breast plate and powerful presence. The brunette cursed herself again.

How could she not have noticed it was Erza Scarlett who had casually strolled into Sia's store and not their regular clientele? Those two types of people were poles apart in both appearance and personality. Lana blamed allowing her laid-back demur to take control, in other words going off into cloud nine while she was meant to be focused on her job.

Lana's mind was in turmoil. She panicked that Erza may have come after her in the knowledge that she had lied about Lucy dying. She knew her story had sounded too phony to be believable and now because of her poor performance back then she would reap the consequences now. Lucy should have never entrusted this task to her.

Fearing for the amount of living days she now possessed, Lana planed her possible escape routes. Her eyes darted across the room searching for every door and window within a short radius. "Is everything alright?" Erza asked with slight concern detectable in her voice.

Lana jumped and then coughed, trying to brush over her strange behaviour. It seemed the equip mage hadn't realized who she was yet. "Yes!" She said promptly, keeping her voice low in the hope she wouldn't be identified. "Of course. Everything is just fine. You wanted the tarts right? I'll go get them now."

She then scurried away with her head lowered. She picked up the tarts hurriedly and in her dither didn't even attempt to run away. She simply brought the pastries to the costumer with a nervous smile. "Here's your tarts madam. Is there anything else you want?" Lana asked sincerely hoping she didn't want anything else.

"Actually, I think I do want something else. Could I please have a..." Erza suddenly stopped talking. Leaving her sentence unfinished, from her bag she withdrew what appeared to be a small crystal ball that flashed a vibrant green. Erza smiled apologetically at Lana. "Sorry. I'll have to take this. Could you wait just a minute?"

"O-Of Course." Lana stammered, "Take all the time you need." She left Erza, giving her the privacy she needed to answer the call but made sure to stay within ear shot.

The red head thanked her and once again turned to the small glowing object in her hand. She murmured something and almost immediately an all too familiar face appeared in the crystal. "Ah. Master." Erza stated. "I was wondering why you hadn't called sooner..."

The little old man gave a tired sigh in reply. "We've been having some...trouble here at the guild."

"Trouble! What trouble? Do you need us to come back?" Erza exclaimed in alarm.

"No, it's nothing I cannot handle my child; I'll be perfectly fine. There are some people still seriously shaken by Lucy's death. They've been causing some problems for me."

"I hope you're able to resolve it soon."

"I hope so too." The Master agreed.

"Now, what was it you called for?" Erza asked, drawing attention to what she assumed was an important topic.

"Ah yes," the Master remembered, his bushy eyebrows rising in recollection, "What I really wanted to ask was-" He saw Lana behind Erza, who was busy cleaning tables, and froze. Lana's breath hitched in her throat as she could only wait in apprehension for the Master to see through her facade. His mouth fell open in surprise and he pointed an astonished finger at the waitress through the lacrima. "Who is that gorgeous young thing?"

A scuffle could be heard along with the anxious calling of Mira-Jane and soon the Master was pushed from view and was replaced with a frantic looking blue haired mage. She was panting, almost like she had just been in an exhausting fight, and her eyes were wide and blood-shot. Erza deduced this was from one too many vigour potions. "E-Erza!" Levy rasped, "Please tell me. Is Lana with you?"

Erza's features screwed up as she answered, curious to why the question should be of such great importance. "Lana? No... Isn't she in the infirmary under Porlyusica's watch?"

Levy growled before saying, "That's just it; she's not. We've looked everywhere in the guild and have asked around but nobody has seen her. She's left without leaving a single message for us. Don't you find that the slightest bit strange?"

"She was probably too upset to be around somewhere that reminded her of Lucy. She was her childhood friend Levy." Mira entered the picture.

"If she was such good friends with her why didn't Lucy mention her before?" The script mage argued, "Her story didn't make sense. There were oversights and unanswered questions that I want answered."

"This is absurd. Levy, you're not well. I can tell you've been taking vigour potions instead of sleeping, haven't you? Go get some rest and forget about all of this." Erza tried to reason with her.

"No! I've been thinking and thinking about it. About Lana. I don't trust what she said; not for one minute! I want to find her and settle things properly but the Master won't let me leave."

"And for good reasons, my child." The said old man justified.

"The reasons of which you won't tell me!" Levy was getting more hysterical by the minute. Her usual well mannered and spirited nature was deteriorating fast and all that the Master and Mira could do was look on in trepidation. All attempts they made to persuade her were failing.

"Quiet down. I'm in a cafe. You're disturbing the other costumers. I'm sure she doesn't want to lose them because of you." Erza jerked her thumb back at Lana as she spoke, who was fervently scrubbing the same spot on the table that she had been for the last five minutes.

Levy finally seemed to pacify somewhat on hearing that their conversation was not as private as she first anticipated. Her face took up the entire crystal ball as she leaned in for a better look around the bakery. Her head cocked to the side. "Do I know that girl?" She wondered aloud. "She looks familiar..."

Lana squeezed her eyes tightly close and repeated the same phrase in her mind. "Don't let her realise. Please, don't let her realise!"

"Very familiar..." Levy's eyes narrowed. "Erza, could you please call her over? I would like to speak to her."

The red head raised her eyebrows but did not question Levy. She called Lana over, who hesitantly obeyed. She kept her gaze transfixed on the polished tile flooring as she walked over.

"Hello." Levy said, her cheery tone surprising Lana and causing her stare to meet the script mage's. Her eyes were cold. "You're a waitress here, right?"

Lana nodded dumbly in reply.

"And could you please tell me what your name is?"

The game was up. Levy knew. She was amazed no one else had figured it out already. To Lana it should have been painstakingly obvious. Maybe things are at their most inconspicuous when hidden in plain sight.

Her name was on the tip of her tongue. She was ready to reveal it all with one word. "Lana."

And with that the girl took off running. She didn't dare turn back for who knew what might happen to her from now on. She sprinted to the kitchen where there were stairs that lead to her temporary attic room. The brunette knew she had little time. There was a high chance Erza was hot on her heals which left her near to no time to escape. But Lana had something she had an obligation to take with her. In a single leap she flew over her bed to the dusty corner of her room where her satchel lay, untouched since the moment it had been put there. She slung the bag over her shoulder in one fluid motion and opened her sky light just as quickly. She knew this window lead to the roof but she was left with barely any other choice. She could hear Erza's voice calling her from the stairs.

On the roof top the breeze was gentle. It was a refreshing factor working against her clammy skin. She worked hard to keep her breathing steady as she used the creepers on the side of the building to lower herself to the ground. She looked down and gulped. It was quite the drop.

She hit the ground with less grace than she intended but she made it safely never the less. She scrambled to her feet and sprinted to the tree line of the forest that surrounded the town. She was thankful Sia's shop was on the edge of town.

She had just made it to the forest border as she heard a loud thud from behind her. An image of scarlet flashed through her mind. Her suspicions were confirmed by a mere glance over her shoulder.

Titania the fairy queen had elegantly jumped from the top of a two story building (all limbs intact) and was now gaining on Lana quickly.

Lana's legs pumped faster as adrenalin coursed through her. Erza may have had superior athletic abilities but Lana had an extremely astute mind. She weaved in and out of the tall trees as her brain worked in overdrive to formulate some sort of plan to get her out of this mess.

Erza was nimble. Erza was strong. Erza was clever. Erza had experience. Lana's chances were not looking good.

She had one plan however that could work. Up ahead the girl spotted a fairly large clump of closely knitted trees. She threw herself behind them just before Erza rounded a corner from where she had just come. She fought to muffle her deafeningly loud gasps as Erza slowed to scan the area.

Sweaty hands fumbled with the gritty forest floor and came to close around a small pebble. Lana tested its weight in her hand before leaning out from her hiding spot and throwing the stone with all her might. The stone soared through the air and hit the bark of a far away tree. Erza's head snapped towards the direction of the noise it made and a second later launched herself that way.

Lana allowed herself to breathe a small sigh of relief before moving once more. She would not be safe until she had distanced herself from Erza and Lana knew the fairy wouldn't take long to figure out her ruse.

She ran for almost half an hour until stumbling across a clearing amid the trees illuminated by moonlight. She was panting heavily, clutching at a stitch in her side. Long red gashes extended from her face to her bare legs where thorns had ripped through her flesh.

She allowed herself to give way. She lay flat on her back staring up at the enigmatic night sky. Her face fell into shadow as the clearing grew darker.

"Why did this have to happen?" Lana whispered to the waning moon above.

In her opinion she really didn't have much luck. Not only was she on a seemingly idealistic journey to find a person whose whereabouts was unknown but now she was also on the run. There was no way in hell she could go back to Sia now; she would be found by the fairies. She regretted not being able to thank the old woman. Although she had been merciless toward her she had also been too kind. She hoped she would meet her again someday.

But from now on Lana would have to be extra careful whilst travelling. She was sure that if Fairy Tail hadn't thought of her as suspicious before now they would defiantly be wary of her. Levy may have even believed she had murdered Lucy herself, like Nastu had before. She didn't want that. The idea of being on mutual if not friendly terms with the guild was pleasant to her. The thought evaporated from her head like boiling water. "Fat chance of that." She grumbled, letting her eyelids droop.

A sinister laughing echoed in the darkness around her. She sat bolt upright, now alert and vigilant. She had a very bad feeling swelling within her.

The chilling voice spoke. "A little lamb is lost in the woods..." Her only ally was the moon, casting light over her frame; all else was left to be devoured by the gloom of the night. "All alone with nowhere to go... She's confused. She's scarred."

"Who's there?" Lana called, summoning her courage. "Show yourself!"

Her demand was implemented. A slender figure stepped forward to be cast in the same light as Lana. The splendour of her fluid movements and her captivating beauty left the young girl in awe at her striking appearance. Yet in all her magnificence, her looks were marred by the menacing impression she gave off. "I'm your shepherdess."

"Minerva." Lana croaked. Her throat felt dry. Her breath was shallow.

Lana knew about her. This woman was part of the guild Sabertooth. Her outer appearance may be that of a wise, mature, attractive woman but inside much darker traits lurk. Her true ugliness was revealed to be a sadistic nature and a horrific want of power. However after her guild lost in the Grand Magic Games she had broken down and began to sob uncontrollably. Perhaps she had truly loved her guild. But Lana knew no better; this was all second-hand information after all.

All Lana knew was no to be quick to judge (although her current opinion of Minerva was not great). Everything that the girl could see in front of her eyes triggered alarm bells in her head.

The corner's of Minerva's lips quirked up into a small smirk. "You know my name. Not surprising really. Although I'm afraid I can't say the same for you..."

The girl's eyebrows knitted together. She pressed her lips together, saying nothing.

"What's with that frown, little lamb? You're not going to tell me your name?" The dark haired beauty asked. She shrugged. "No matter. I have something else I need of you. You are a wizard, are you not? I can feel the magic emanating from within you."

She wasn't here to attack? She just wanted to ask her a question? Lana couldn't figure Minerva out. "What of it?" Lana queried, not letting her guard down.

"I'm here to request that you come with me. It's nothing bad. There are just some people who I'm sure would like to meet you. Come now, I'll take you to them." The woman smiled, signalling for her to follow.

Lana didn't move. She glanced warily at Minerva before demanding, "How do I know I can trust what you say?! I know you've done terrible things in the past. You've hurt good people. What about the Grand Magic Games?"

Minerva's eyes were downcast to the floor but only for a moment. She flashed a somewhat strained smile; this did not go unnoticed by Lana. "What's past is past. Everything was resolved a long time ago. Now, come on. I'll take you to meet my...friends."

"I'd rather not."

Grinding her teeth, Minerva took a step forwards. Lana drew back. "You never make it easy do you? All of our little lambs..." Her hands were raised to point at Lana.

An odd feeling could be felt swirling around the girl. It caused her hair to stand on end.

Lana once again questioned her luck. Could it be it was getting worse? She had not trusted Minerva from the beginning but she hadn't been sure that she would initiate an attack. She had thought this woman may have not been all that she seemed.

Minerva's face stretched into a wicked grin before she sprang forward. Lana's eyes widened at the sudden movement but she still managed to get into the defensive position before Minerva could reach her.

To her surprise however, Lana was now no longer facing the offensive woman but the pitch black that had once been behind her. The brunette gasped and made to turn.

"Don't." A voice hissed in her ear.

A pale hand pressed a metal blade to Lana's throat. Another ran through her long brown mane, stopping near her roots. It tightly clenched a fistful of her hair.

"Let me go." She commanded, now with much less conviction in her voice.

Minerva tugged at her tresses reminding her she was not the one in control. A quick movement of Minerva's wrist would leave her dead. Her life was held in her hands.

"You know..." Minerva laughed callously. "You really remind me of this one person. You're both quite comparable. You even have a ribbon like the one she had."

The strip of silk fell from her hair with a simple tug. The woman held it in the palm of her hand, admiring it in the moonlight. "It really is a pretty thing."

"Don't touch that!" Lana cried, reaching out for the ribbon.

The dagger was dug further into her skin. "Not so fast, little lamb."

"Give it back..." Lana became submissive almost immediately.

"It seems like you're awfully fond of this."

"Yes, it was given as a gift to me." Lana said softly. "So could you please give it back?"

"I'd rather not." Minerva regurgitated the same phrase Lana had used. The user of the War God magic, manipulator of space and matter, let her dagger fall to the floor and was now able to use her free hand to hold Lana aloft. The girl scrambled to get away but her feet were now raised off the floor.

Lana bit back a gasp as she felt the excruciating and constant pull on her scalp. She attempted to scratch at Minerva's hand but she could not be swayed.

"You know..." Minerva began. "I've disliked the past. I always just want to forget but people insist on bringing it up. I hear thing and see things that remind me of what I don't wish to remember. I hate anything like that."

She gave the ribbon a fleeting look before tossing it into the air. "I destroy anything that makes me remember."

Lana shrieked in alarm as Minerva pointed a willowy finger at the ribbon fluttering through the dark air. Her finger snapped inwards and the ribbon was cut in two.

Minerva gasped loudly, immediately dropping Lana.

The girl collapsed painfully. She felt sore all over as her body tried to cope with the shock of the impact and her hazing eyes watched a cascade of golden hair tumble over her shoulders.

* * *

**Hello... I just got out of a writer's block comma and literally wrote most of this today. It was really weird.**

**Anyway I'm back again with a new chapter and I have finally delivered what I have promised you for ages now. I'm not going to say it directly in case anyone is being extremely dense today and still can't work it out. *Scowl* Think People! Think!**

**Does anyone know what time of year it is? That's right; summer! Meaning I'll have more free time meaning more updates. Hooray!**

**Yonde kurete Arigatō…**

**Sayōnara!**


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